New Beginnings
by Platinum Book
Summary: A young girl passes by a dust shop, an heiress doesn't rebel, and a rebel keeps fighting. Team RWBY of Beacon never comes to be. Instead it is formed by four fully capable and trained huntresses. But these are no carefree schoolgirls, and each brings with them their own fair share of life's burdens. Eventual White Rose and Bumbleby, but ships will not be the main focus.
1. Job Hunting

It was a crisp, windy day in the forest, and Ruby Rose was trying desperately not to get her ass kicked.

 _Shit. Shit. Damnit. Fuck._

With each swing from the Ursa Major she could feel her guard slipping more and more. In her defense, she'd been fighting all day, and had been hunting for about a week straight at that point. She hadn't even had milk for the last five days.

"Yang!" The cloaked huntress yelled. "Need some help over here!"

The Ursa made a another swing for her, a long horizontal swipe straight at her head. In a flurry of roses, she slipped underneath its outstretched arm and came to a stop at its back. The blade of her high impact sniper-scythe, Crescent Rose, still rested in front of its torso. Ruby grinned and pulled the trigger. Rotating her body at the same time with practiced ease, the massive, and now massively accelerating, blade cut through the thick hide of the Grimm as if it were nothing. It then proceeded to do the same to the creature's bones, muscles, and internal organs as the Ursa was bisected at the waist.

"Nevermind!" Ruby yelled to her sister, wherever she was.

Ruby gave her surroundings a once over, making sure there were no immediate threats before letting her guard down. Not entirely, mind you. She knew better than that. Just enough to let herself breathe a bit and check her condition.

For one, she was filthy. There wasn't a whole lot of her own blood on her her, but she did notice some red caked in with the smothering of vile black Grimm blood. She pulled out her scroll and checked her aura.

 _25 percent_. She thought. _So long as nothing too crazy happens, I should be good. But still…_

She was glad she had somewhat dampened her aura protection for today. Sure, she had a few more scratches and developing bruises than she would have liked, but it beat burning through her aura early. Yang wouldn't have let her live that down for weeks.

 _Where_ is _Yang?_ She wondered. Before she could think more on where her hot-headed sibling was, her thought process was somewhat interrupted.

A giant two headed snake exploding out of the nearby trees tended to do that.

"Nevermind on the nevermind!"

* * *

It was about an hour later that Yang found her there in that clearing, collapsed on her back. As she approached the younger girl, she had a sly grin on her face, but the closer she got the more anxiety crept into her expression

"Ruby?" She said, trying to keep her voice level. "You okay?"

Ruby groaned in response. "Where were you?" She sat up with considerable effort.

"Wrestling"

An eyebrow rose behind red-tipped locks.

"Wrestling a Beringel." She clarified. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm… fine enough. You don't need to worry."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She checked her scroll and her lilac eyes went wide. "Ruby, you're out of aura!"

"Well, that's why I said-"

"Ruby," Yang plopped down beside her sister and started examining her wounds. "You _can't_ keep doing this." A pause. "We can't keep doing this."

"This?"

Yang sighed. "This. Hunting."

"But-!" Ruby started to protest, but Yang gave her a look that only her big sister could. A look that said _shut up and listen_.

"I don't mean it like that."

"Well then why'd you say it like that…" Ruby grumbled. Yang gave her the look again.

"What I mean is that we can't keep hunting like this. With just the two of us. We end up spread too thin and then _this_ happens."

"But hunters go solo all the time!" Ruby said. "Just look at Uncle Qrow!"

"Those hunters don't clear out entire sectors, Rubes. They work as bodyguards, or bounty hunters, or… whatever it is Qrow does."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"Either we take easier jobs," Yang said. Ruby pouted at that. "Or we work with more people." Ruby kept pouting.

Yang got off the ground. She offered a hand to Ruby.

"Now come on, we're cutting it close to nightfall as is."

"When did you start caring so much about playing it safe?" Ruby grumbled as she took Yang's hand. She was still a bit put out about the whole situation, but a mischievous grin had snuck onto her regardless. "You gettin old or something sis?"

"Hah!" Yang pulled her to her feet. "I'll be young 'til the day I die!"

Ruby's brow furrowed for a second before she could hide her concern.

Yang put a hand behind her head and chuckled with a tension that wasn't normally there. "Oh, uh… not like that. I just mean I won't get _old_ old, ya know? Like, if I ever become some crazy old cat lady, feel free to literally knock some sense into me, ok?"

Ruby snorted. "Didn't you once say something about dying 'surrounded by pussy'"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Oh please, like I would ever say-" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait, was I drunk?"

"New Years, I think."

"You are not to repeat that. To anyone."

"Alright…" Ruby said. "But you might want to tell that to Dad, too."

"WHAT?!"

Ruby laughed and ran off to the treeline. By the time her sister caught up, she was mostly cooled down. Yang's blush, a rather rare sight, aside.

The walk through the forest was silent for a long period of time. Ruby used the opportunity to do her own visual check up on her sister. Yang was definitely better off than her for the most part, but that didn't mean she didn't have a few particularly painful looking gashes.

"So what do you want to do?" Ruby finally broke the silence. "Find a team, or smaller missions?"

"Honestly?" Yang said, looking up at the darkening sky. "I don't really care. So long as I'm doing _something_ , I'll be fine. I'm always up for meeting new people though!"

Ruby hummed in contemplation. "Do they have to be _new_ people?"

"What do you mean?" Yang looked at her suspiciously.

"You still talk to your team from Beacon, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Yang said. She paused, but cut off the question already forming on Ruby's lips. "They wouldn't be interested Ruby." She shook her head

"Why not? They're hunters, right?!"

"Well, yeah, but they're…" She paused again, for longer this time. Almost a minute passed before she spoke again. "Look, they're good people, good hunters too. But we never really… worked, together. Let's just say we're all a lot closer now that we just talk over the CCT. I'm guessing yours…"

"Hah!" Ruby laughed sardonically. "Even if they _would_ want to tag along, which they wouldn't, they'd probably spend half the time complaining, and the other half screaming for help."

"Weren't _you_ just screaming for help?"

"So you did hear me!"

Yang managed to look sheepish for all of one second. "I was a bit busy going twelve rounds with a giant gorilla. My point stands."

"The difference is we have _eachothers'_ backs. You don't have three."

Yang looked at her little sister with a scrutinizing glare. "You know, I'm sure they were doing their best, Ruby. Not everyone has had years of training from a professional hunter."

"That's the thing Yang! They _didn't_ try! I tried to help them! I was lucky if I got them to step foot into the damn gym, let alone the training room."

"Oh come on, they weren't that bad."

Ruby rolled her eyes.

"They weren't!" Yang protested. "It's not like I never met them, remember? They were at Beacon for a reason, after all."

"Like I said, they wouldn't want to come anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Ruby knew she wasn't being entirely reasonable about her old team. They were… competent enough, she supposed. But though no one had ever said it out loud, it had always been grossly apparent why her team had consistently topped the group combat rankings. It also didn't help that they had parted on a less than pleasant note, and Ruby had had a few years for her memories of her team to properly sour now.

"So what _is_ our plan then?" Ruby asked.

"Depends, wanna meet new people?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "Fine, I guess." _So long as I actually get to choose rather than some arbitrary bullshit._

"I might have an idea"

* * *

Weiss Schnee stepped off an airship in a way only a Schnee could. Like it was _implied_ that she already owned the ground she walked on. Maybe she didn't in actuality, but there was an understanding; if she wanted to, she could. This, in effect, made everything a theoretical property of the Schnees.

The Schnee Dust Company's President of Interkingdom Negotiation knew this. She knew it well. She also knew that her business partners knew it. Which is why she was not at all surprised when, as she stepped off the airship in that way only a Schnee could, she also stepped off into a throng of the most prominent businessmen and women in Vale. A part of her actually enjoyed watching them scramble to get in her good graces. Most of her hated it though.

It was all fake, of course. As she knew, she could single handedly ruin their business, and by proxy their lives. Or she could turn their company into the most successful in Vale, and the second most in Remnant. Not without a fair amount of work of course, but she could. Why else would they all be treating her as they did; with a mix of fear, hatred, and respect?

Weiss held up a hand before any of them had the chance to speak. "Thank you all for coming, it's great to see you all, truly." She used her best "professional" voice. And it was a damn good one. "And while I am humbled by your considerations, I am not here on behalf of the SDC, and will not be doing any business on this trip."

Some of them remained undeterred, and started forward. No doubt eager to engage in pointless smalltalk they thought would ingratiate them to the scarred woman. They were _so_ wrong.

Some might mistake Weiss's expression at that point for a smile. "Please," She held up her hand again. "While I am not here on SDC business, I _am_ here on business, and it _is_ rather urgent."

It was at this point most of the executives seemed to notice the robotic soldiers at her side. And if they looked closely enough, they may have recognized her attire as that of the Atlesian military specialists. Those that did were quick to vacate the area, and those that didn't seemed to catch on quick enough. Except for one.

"Schnee." Said woman in clearly designer clothes and striking shades, despite the overcast day.

"Adel." Weiss huffed. "Did you want something?"

"You might be able to make those weak-kneed money-grubbers piss their pants at the sight of a couple of tin cans, but I'm onto you."

"What the hell are you on about Coco? And please, _don't_ test me."

Coco smirked. "I happen to know that you're on a bit of a… what did the official report call it again? Extended leave? From the Atlesian military."

Weiss motioned for the robots to stand at the entrance to her vessel and for Coco to join her inside.

"Ooh, so forward Ms. Schnee," Coco said as she stepped aboard. "Going to invite me into your bed next?"

"Do you _want_ me to stab you?"

"Is _that_ what you do to your lovers?" She gasped with painfully fake outrage. "Explains why the tabloids haven't got any dirt on you yet."

"Coco…" Weiss growled.

The older huntress raised her hands in resignation. She knew perfectly well just how to tick Weiss off, and just how much she could get away with. The two had gotten close during Coco's second year at Beacon, when Weiss had come to participate in the Vytal festival.

"So, babe," Coco was _really_ pushing it this time. "Why are you really here? 'Cause it sure as shit ain't for the military."

"It's a… delicate matter, Coco. You're right, I'm not with the military as of right now, strictly speaking, but-"

"Spill, Schnee. I can tell you're trying to talk your way out of an answer, and I'm not biting."

"Fine." Weiss huffed. "General Ironwood and my father both agreed that me working for both of them was negatively affecting my performance. So the General put me on leave, and my father told me to cease handling business deals and 'improve the public face of the company'"

"Wait, they _both_ told you to take time off?"

"I said they agreed, not that they communicated."

"So basically, you got canned. From both of your jobs. At the same time." Coco was barely trying to contain her grin.

"No! I have merely been… reassigned."

"Oh? To what?" Coco's face would be markedly improved by a rapier at that point.

"Merely a less high profile position."

At this, Coco lost it.

"Oh, my bad! You just got demoted! Twice!" Coco was a step away from rolling on the floor.

"Just because I'm on leave does _not_ make me less of a specialist, Adel." Weiss's voice was cold.

"You saying you want a fight?" The gunner leaned forward and grinned.

"I'm saying, I need a _job_ "

* * *

The street reeked of piss and alcohol. Your average human would think it rancid, and feel sorry for the poor sods that had to sleep on it. Few would ever consider that most of those poor sods were faunus, a fair amount of them with a sense of smell several times stronger than their own. There was a reason Blake only crashed in this area when she didn't have another choice.

But she had just spent the last of her lien on food, and didn't have any new jobs lined up yet. There were some nicer areas, cleaner streets, but those were much more strictly patrolled than the slums she was crashing in. She'd been living like this for long enough now, she was used to it. Mostly.

"Oi!" A voice rang out from around an alley corner. "Ya mangy fuck!"

Blake's hair stood on end. As well as the fur on her bow-covered ears. The person couldn't possibly be talking to her; he wasn't even in sight. He might not have even been talking to a faunus. Sure, plenty used words like "mangy" as slurs against her kind, but-

"Yeah, you, the one w' the bitch ears!"

Or not. Part of Blake was glad she'd hidden. Even in more gentrified parts of society, not everyone was entirely kind to faunus. She knew that too well. Here in the slums, those feelings took on a whole other type of expression. She knew the statistics. No one was more at risk of muggings and murders than faunus in low income areas.

But that part of Blake was small. Mostly, she was furious. Especially once she heard the telltale sound of a gun being cocked.

"Now," As the voice continued, Blake drew nearer to the alley with her signature silent footsteps. "You know there's only so many ways this can end. So let's just get it over with, hmm?"

Peeking around the alley, Blake was able to get a decent view of the scene. Three hostiles. Two burly men and one woman. A gun, a club, and a knife. Limited training at best, based on their stances. At the far end of the alley was a wolf-eared faunus. Young, likely late teens. No weapon.

"Please." The faunus said. "I-I don't have any money. I'm just-"

"Ya got those clothes, donch ya?" The voice, the man with the gun, said. "Betcha got some food stashed away too."

"Please, please, these are all I have. I don't got any food."

The man grunted and raised his gun. Blake's instincts sent her nearly into autopilot. She drew her chain scythe and sharpened sheath, Gambol Shroud, and stepped around the corner. Despite the dark, she knew the faunus would be able to see her. She nodded at him to go.

As the faunus, seemingly having gotten her message, started to back up the gunman motioned with his gun, which appeared to be a simple pistol, at his legs.

"I wouldn't do that, lil' pup."

Blake, still unseen by the thugs, separated Gambol Shroud and shifted the smaller blade into its gun/kama form. Just as it looked like the man was about to fire, she threw her blade.

Gambol Shroud spun through the air, passing by the side of the gunman. Blake pulled on the ribbon attached to the blade, and it whipped back into the man's arm. The momentum of the blade carried the man's arm across his chest as he pulled the trigger.

Human (and faunus) reaction time is a funny thing. While the gunman clearly knew that his gun was no longer pointed at his target, there was nothing he could do to stop himself. Electrical signals had already been sent from his brain, instructing his finger to _squeeze_.

His shot went off to his left, straight into the club wielding man standing there. With her superior night vision Blake could see a fine pink mist exit the man's head before he collapsed. She winced at his poor fate and ran into action, intending to make full use of her surprise.

Her sword still stuck in the gunman's arm, she pulled, intending to yank him off balance. When instead it cleanly cut through roughly half his arm she pulled up short.

 _No aura._ She thought. _None at all. So they weren't just caught off guard, they actually don't even have unlocked auras._

"Stop." She said, sheathing Gambol Shroud. "I won't fight you if I don't need to. Leave this man in peace, and I will follow suit."

The man only clutched his mangled arm and glared at her. Any intimidating effect it might have had on her was somewhat mitigated by the groans escaping his mouth.

"You bitch!" The woman yelled as she charged Blake.

Blake sighed and easily sidestepped the attack. She stuck a leg in front of her opponent's and used her free hand to guide the woman by the back of the neck into the ground.

"Stop." Blake repeated. "I mean it. And not just now. You won't get another warning."

Blake turned to walk toward the wolf faunus, to make sure he was unharmed. Or if he was, at least attempt first aid. She of course knew what was coming, which is why she did nothing to stop it.

The knife struck her back hard. Not thrown, stabbed. Unfortunately for the woman stabbing her, it was completely negated by Blake's aura, merely bouncing off the cat faunus's skin.

Blake whipped around and grabbed the would be mugger's wrist. "Don't you get it? You get a second chance now. Cherish it." She threw the woman to the ground.

Kneeling down by the wolf faunus, she realized her earlier guess was a bit off. He looked to be closer to fifteen or so.

 _Just a kid._ She thought. _Those asses are making a really good case for me not letting them go._

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Y-yeah." He said. "They uh, didn't get a chance to do anything."

"Good."

He looked at the thugs laying on the ground. One dead, one wounded, and one looking hopelessly at Blake.

"Are you…?"

Blake grimaced. "I'm nothing. Nothing you should want to be."

The boy looked confused at that. "But you-"

"Look," Blake stared into his azure eyes. "These guys… they're not great examples of humanity. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Most humans…" She drifted off.

"I uh," The wolf faunus said, snapping Blake out of her reverie. "I was gonna ask if you were a faunus, 'cause, like, it's kinda hard to tell... "

"Oh," Blake blushed. "Uh, yeah." She wiggled her ears hidden behind the bow. "But, what I said before, it still…do you have anywhere to go?"

"No, I was telling the truth about that. More or less live here. I, uh, thought you did too, but" He gestured to her weapon.

"I'm kinda in and out. But you, you look young enough that you should at least be in an orphanage if you've got nowhere else, right?"

At this, the boy froze. "I, uh, thanks for your help." And he ran off.

 _Great job, Blake_. She thought. _Scare the kid off before you can_ actually _help him. And really, you of all people should know better than to pry._

She glanced back at the alley. The only thug that remained was the one who'd been shot. She supposed that was mostly her fault. Looking at him, she felt… empty. Sure, knowing that they didn't even have aura she could have just walked through them like it was nothing. But she hadn't known that, so she had used the most likely strategy to succeed. It was unfortunate that it led to this man losing his life, but not, Blake figured, all together much of a tragedy. He'd chosen his actions, and he had lived, or rather died, with the consequences. The other two received a mercy, nothing more.

* * *

After dealing with the thugs, Blake thought it best to get out of the area. Not that she was terribly worried about attracting attention from police; she knew how to get out of that type of situation, after all. But there was still the chance, and she'd rather avoid it if she could. That, and the adrenaline of the fight meant that she didn't really feel the need to sleep now anyway.

 _Might as well try to make some use of my time, then._ She thought.

The hour may have been late, but the city of Vale never slept. Particularly the part of it that she most commonly dealt with. Blake had a very specific set of skills. One that didn't lend her to too many opportunities for employment, especially without the proper documentation, such as a Hunting license. That said, there were always those that would be willing to pay a bit less for someone without the proper paper trail. Or, depending on the job, someone willing to pay a bit more.

And so Blake found herself in front of Junior's nightclub. Not the worst place in town, not by far. But anyone with an ear to the ground for the sort of thing knew that not all the deals that went down there were entirely legitimate. Certain rumors claimed that the owner himself, Junior, wasn't always entirely on the right side of the law.

Blake walked in and was sensorially pummeled. The pounding music and flashing lights were playing hell on her faunus senses. She could even make out the smell of alcohol and, if she managed to concentrate through the brutal ambience for more than a second, a few substances that she _knew_ were far from legal.

Doing her best to block out the distractions, she made her way to the bar. On her way, she did her best to scope out the other patrons. The vast majority were just there to get wasted or unwind. Nine-to-five office workers, students, and the like. She could pretty easily pick out those that were there to do less than legal business. Those that were just rich enough to game the system, but not powerful enough to do it by the light of day. Mostly offshore money laundering and such. Anything to increase profit margins.

Then there was the darker stuff. Coercion, blackmail, grand larceny. Even murder, in some cases. If Junior got wind of those types of deals, he tended to deal with it personally. So anybody discussing that here would either not be in the main room, or be very discrete about it. There's a thing about discretion though; it's not very discreet if you know it's there. Blake knew what those type of people looked and acted like. They had a certain feel about them, like they were repelling all attention directed at them.

Astronomy wasn't a terribly active field of research on Remnant, due to Dust's tendency to fail outside the atmosphere, but certain techniques were being developed to study the void that surrounds them. Black holes, for instance, could be detected by a complete lack of any light from a place where there should be. That's how you find those that don't want to be found, those that offensively avoid any amount of conspicuity; you look for the black holes.

Her search for such irregularities, however, came up short. _Back room, then._ Blake thought.

She approached the barkeeper, a tall, thin man with red shades and a fedora, like all the employees here.

"Can I get something for you?" He said.

"Depends." Blake had to resist shouting at the top of her lungs. "Anybody asking around for someone with my… talents?"

Blake imagined the man was glaring at her. The sunglasses somewhat ruined what she figured was supposed to be an intimidating gesture. "And what would those be?"

She flicked the edge of her coat, temporarily revealing Gambol Shroud.

"Hmph. Let me check." The barkeeper said before walking into a room behind the bar.

While she waited, Blake took mental stock of her equipment and supplies.

 _Enough lien to get at least a meal a day for a week, fifty standard dust rounds for Gambol Shroud, lockpick set, fake IDs. No book, unfortunately, but I can make do with a library next time I get a chance._

When the barkeep reemerged he had an odd look on his face. Blake's best guess put it somewhere between worry and… pity?

 _Does he know something about a client?_

"Well, we don't got anything… official, but it looks like we got a customer asking for someone like you. Someone the boss'd, uh, rather not deal with."

* * *

"Yang, what are we doing here?" Ruby asked.

The two were seated in a dark corner booth in Junior's nightclub, about as far away from the dance floor as possible.

"Well," Yang said. "No one was looking to team up with a couple o' badasses like ourselves on the official hunting board…"

"I know. I was there."

"Right… and really, this _is_ the best place to find people if you know how to ask." Yang winked.

"Then why did we check out, like, a hundred other places first?" Ruby smirked. Sometimes Yang regretted going into business with her baby sister. Especially when said sister decided to be a smartass.

"Well, save the best for last, right?"

"Yang, I don't think that applies to job searches. Just cookies."

"Cookies?" Yang quirked a brow.

"Yup. Oh, and strawberries. You don't wanna eat all the good ones first, then the last one is all mushy and gross. And that's the last thing you taste, so you wanna go out on a high note, ya know?"

"Do me a favor?" Yang sighed

"Yeah?"

"If we actually find someone here, just… let me do the talking."

"What?" Ruby pouted. Yang was pretty sure it was fake, but with her sister she could never be sure. "You don't think I can handle the business side? Just keep me around for my amazingly awesome sniper-scythe?"

"Of course not, Ruby." Yang said, making Ruby beam. "Your speed is pretty nice, too."

Ruby punched Yang in the arm. "You suck!"

Yang just laughed. "That the best you can do? I can't decide what was worse, that punch or your 'comeback'. Man, and I thought your Xiao Long genes were finally showing after earlier." She wiped the tears out of her eyes and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "We really gotta work on that. Both of them, actually. If not, I think I might have to disown you."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her.

A few minutes of idle chatter later one of the employees approached their table. One of Junior's men, tacky sunglasses and all.

"Got someone who might be interested." He said. "You said you were looking for a huntress?"

"Two, preferably. Hunter or Huntress, doesn't matter. You spot checked them, I'm assuming?"

"Well, she was definitely packing, if that's what you're asking, Blondie. But I ain't gonna try and confiscate it. No way in hell I risk a fight with one of you freaks."

"That's fine, if it gets messy it'll b anyway. She seemed alright to you though?"

"She seemed like a huntress. Who wanted a job. You want me to go ask her for a fuckin immunization report?"

Yang could feel the air heat up a fraction around her. "Fine, fine. Whatever, send her over."

"Real smooth sis." Ruby snickered. "Sure you don't want me to do the talking?"

"Shut up."


	2. Interviews

_I hope she's nice._ Ruby thought.

It had been a minute or so since the bar worker had left to fetch their potential new teammate, and Ruby's old friend social anxiety was coming back to visit. There was a reason that up until now she had insisted that she and Yang work alone. But if she was being honest with herself, she agreed with her sister. They'd had a few too many close calls over the past three years, and if she had to choose between having to meet new people or cut down on hunting… well she hadn't trained for eight years just to play glorified animal control for Vale.

"You okay?" Yang asked. Apparently Ruby wasn't very good at hiding her emotions.

"Just nervous." Ruby said. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"You sure? We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Ruby shook her head. "No, we do. Really, Yang, it's not a problem. I mean, whoever she is, she's a Huntress, right? Can't be too bad then."

"That's the spirit!" Yang suddenly assaulted Ruby with a hug that would probably be considered unnecessarily violent and illegal in the pit-fights of Mistral. "Awww! Look at my little sister breaking out of her shell!"

Ruby groaned. "Yang! Can't… breathe!" Her sister ignored her.

"Ahem." There was a cough from the side of the table. Yang still crushing Ruby, the two sisters looked at the source of the noise.

She looked to be around her mid-twenties, so roughly the same age as them. Maybe closer to Yang's age than Ruby's. Her head was topped by a simple black bow. A bit odd for a grown woman, but Ruby had seen much weirder back at Beacon. Her physique was partially concealed by her black longcoat and simple white shirt, but it was obvious from what wasn't covered that she was very fit.

 _And not unscarred._ Ruby noticed, seeing the white lines that crossed the girl's abdomen. It would seem that this was their Huntress.

"Helllooo!" Yang said, releasing Ruby. "You must be here about the job, then?"

The girl's amber eyes flickered between the two girls. They widened a fraction and she took a step back, shifting her weight to her back foot.

"You… don't look like clients." Her voice was guarded, but level and smooth.

"Well… we weren't exactly planning on hiring you, per se…" Ruby said. Yang elbowed her as the girl furthered her retreat.

"But we _are_ looking for a Huntress. And there _will_ be pay." The blonde said.

"What's the job?"

"Uh, we don't really know that yet. How 'bout you take a seat so we can explain." Yang gestured to the seat across from her and Ruby. The girl looked very dubious, her eyes still darting from place to place, as if she was desperately trying to take in everything around her.

As they were at a dingy booth in a dingier nightclub, there wasn't really much to be looking at. So she was looking for the little details, then.

"Here." Ruby said, placing Crescent Rose on the table with a flourish, the side showing the safety set to the 'on' position face up. She stuck out her hand. "Ruby Rose. And this is my sister Yang Xiao Long." The Huntress looked curiously at the outstretched hand. "And I am, well, pleased to meet you, uh…"

The other girl took her hand. "Blake. But can we go somewhere… else to discuss this further?"

Yang and Ruby shared a look. While this girl, Blake apparently, didn't really seem to be a threat, she was acting a bit off. Yang looked back to Blake. "Uh, one moment, please."

"You don't think she's trying to pull something funny, do you?" Ruby whispered, the two sisters having pulled close together to be able to speak over the music at a normal volume.

"Nah, she is acting kinda skittish though. Just in case, I'll go with her."

Ruby didn't protest; she knew that Yang was the better duelist of the two of them.

"Right, I'll stay here in case anyone else shows up."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Yang turned back to Blake. "Alright, Blake, got anywhere in mind?"

* * *

Blake led Yang out the side exit of the club and down a few streets to a quiet park. The shattered moon shone brightly over their heads as they took a seat on a stone bench.

"Well, I have to say," Yang said. "When I started putting word out that I was looking for an able-bodied fighter in need of work, I didn't expect to be taken on a moonlit walk through a park by a mysterious girl."

Blake smiled, and damn was it a nice smile. One Yang wouldn't mind seeing more of. "You mean this isn't how all contracts go?"

Yang laughed. "Maybe they should! Much better than the dusty old offices or boring mission boards I usually work with."

Blake's face returned to its cold professionalism. "So why do you want to hire me?"

"Straight into it then?"

Blake gave a short nod.

"Alright, first off- why'd we have to leave the club?"

"Does it matter?"

Yang huffed. "Well you've cut me off from my sister. Not that I'm worried about her, or about me, for that matter. But we're a team and I'd feel better if I could've talked to you with her."

"I'm just… not a fan of the club scene."

"And yet there you were, looking for Huntress work."

"And you were in there looking for one."

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Touché. Yeah, my sis and I are looking for a Huntress, or Huntsman, or two."

"And yet you appear to be Huntresses yourselves…"

"Well, yeah. I guess, basically, we want to form a team."

Blake raised a brow. "A team? For what?"

"Hunting Grimm, duh. You see, we've been working on our own for around three years now, and recently we've come to some… realizations."

Blake said nothing, but looked on with attention.

"We've kinda been taking jobs meant for full teams. You know, clearing out whole areas, destroying nests, that sorta thing. Pays pretty well, 'cause we're splitting a four person pay two ways, and we're pretty much good enough that we can do it. You see, _I'm_ a badass, and my sister's sorta a prodigy."

Blake's mouth twitched upward. "Is that so?"

"You betcha! But anyway, we're only _just_ good enough, and it's only a matter of time until our luck catches up with us and one of use bites it. So we've decided to fix that."

"By forming a team?"

"Yep. So whaddya say?"

There was a pause. A silence save for the slight whistling of the wind, and the distant noises of urban traffic.

"I… don't know." Blake finally said. "I've never really done anything like this. Not in a long time, at least."

"What, never worked on a team?" Yang asked. "What about at school?"

"Well, yes, obviously I've worked on a team, but not quite like this. And… I just don't think it'd work."

Yang tilted her head. "Why not?"

"You'd be taking official Hunting contracts, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm not really officially… licensed." Blake looked down at her feet.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry." Blake stood from the bench. "You'll have to find-"

As she rose Yang grabbed for her arm, hoping to get a chance to change her mind. Instead of her hand closing around a wrist, however, she was met only with air while the shadowy form before her vanished. Blake reappeared a few meters away, partially concealed by a tree and weapons unsheathed. Yang slowly stood and held her hands up, palms facing Blake.

"Whoa, sorry. Wasn't trying to startle you or anything."

Blake growled in response and took a step backward. In doing so, she partially left her cover. Which also had the happy effect of revealing a gun that was aimed at the blonde's head.

 _Oh joy,_ Yang thought. _Well if I just ignore it, it can't hurt me, right? Wait, that was bullies, not bullets. Heh, not that I've never combined the two. Oh, right, gun. Looks small enough, I'll just amp up my aura protection a bit, should be fine. Now, time to sweet talk the jumpy Huntress pointing a loaded gun at my face. Easy!_

She grinned. "Nice moves, though. Shame that you don't want to put them to decent use."

Blake glared at her. "Who says I don't?"

"The Valesh Board of Hunters, apparently"

"Do you _want_ to get shot?"

Yang shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"What do you want?"

"Told you. A team."

"Not interested."

"Sure."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Yang's grin was threatening to turn into a smirk. "Fine, you're not interested. Sooo… what're you sticking around for?"

"Excuse you?"

The brawler moved her hands, still in the 'seriously-not-trying-to-kill-you-don't-shoot-me' position, to rest behind her head like she was her Uncle Qrow. "Not like I'm doing anything to keep you here. You could have left whenever you wanted. Which means you _don't_ want to leave. Well, that, or you're still deciding whether or not to shoot. But I'll put my bets on the former."

Blake sighed and sheathed her weapons, one of which also appeared to be a sheath. As if that made any sense.

"That's a hell of a gamble, Xiao Long."

Her grin wasn't even pretending to not be of the shit-eating variety anymore. " _Never_ bet against Yang."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Blake said, her voice falling back to its usual coolness. "You're serious though, aren't you?"

"Do I look like the type of person to _Yangk_ your chain about this?"

Blake seemed to physically grimace at that one. Yang took it as a compliment. "I… have absolutely no idea what to say to that."

"Hmm, I'd recommend starting with 'I'll take the job'"

The dark clothed Huntress kept herself completely monotone. "I'll take the job."

"Oh, wow!" Yang said. She rubbed the back of her head and let her arms drop to her sides. "Didn't really expect that to work."

"What happened to not betting against Yang?" Blake smirked.

"Ha!" Yang barked. "Hope you can keep that up, beautiful. Oh, this is gonna be fun!"

"Hold on," Blake said. "There is still the matter of my license. In that it doesn't exist."

Yang dismissed the worries with a wave of her hand. "For now, _you_ don't have to worry your cute little ass about any of that."

Yang didn't miss the blush on the other woman's face. "Uh, what about-"

"I told you, don't worry about it! We can just leave your name off the contract, no biggie! Usually it's just me and Ruby on the contract anyway, so no one's gonna think it's weird if we don't have a full team. Of course, that does mean you'll have to trust us to, ya know, pay you."

"Oh, well okay then. That does seem acceptable."

"And hey," Yang took a few steps closer to the skittish Huntress. "If everything works out and we all stick together… well we've got some friends in the upper echelons of Hunting here. We could pull a few strings, see about getting you that license."

Blake looked to the ground. "Thank you, that's-"

"Ah-ah. If that happens, it'll be 'cause you earned it, kay?"

"Still," Blake said, raising her amber eyes to meet Yang's lilacs. "Most people wouldn't extend this much… faith to a stranger. Much less one who, well, acted as I did. So thank you."

"What, pointing a gun at my head?" Yang laughed. "Please, that's barely even flirting for me. You should see how my dates go."

Blake sighed again. "You don't like to give straight responses, do you?"

Yang winked.

"So, anything else that needs to be covered?" Blake asked.

"Oh right, pay!" Yang said, clapping her hands together. "Okay, so the stuff we're used to doing pays pretty decent, four to six grand for a few days' hunt or a clearing mission or whatnot. Enough to cover equipment and travel, and still make a tidy profit. And we'll usually take a bit of a break after those, at least two days. The really big stuff, like goliath herds and shit, is another level though. Usually taken on by two or three full teams, so those can get crazy, like twenty to thirty at least."

"Uhh, okay." Blake blinked rapidly and shook her head. "For the stuff you're talking about, doesn't that seem a little… low?"

"Maybe. But we look at this as kinda a… an essential service, ya know? Wouldn't be fair to bankrupt people just so their village is free of Grimm. So we ask what we need, and not much more."

"That's..." Blake paused. "You and your sister must be incredibly special, or incredibly dim."

"Hah! More like we don't really have much else to do. And I guess we've always just been fine the way we are."

"One way of looking at it, I suppose."

"Of course, there is still _one_ more thing."

"And what's that?"

"Whether or not Ruby likes you."

"Oh. And what about you?"

Yang winked. "I think I've made my mind up. But for your sake, I hope you're a damn good fighter."

"I can handle myself." Blake said as she started back toward the club. "Now come on, let's see if your sister has had as much success as you."

"Hah, she better!" Yang chased after Blake with a smile on her face. Blake turned back to her and shook her head, also smiling. But that wasn't all. For just a split second, it almost looked like her bow had moved. Nothing more than a twitch, really.

 _Huh._ Yang thought. _Would ya look at that._

* * *

"Coco, what the _hell_ are we doing here?" Weiss hissed.

"You did say that you need a job, right?" Coco said with a grin.

"Yes, so I assumed you would take me to contract board, or introduce me to a contact. You know, the places where people pick up _work_ , not _women_."

"Who says you can't do both?" Coco said, pointedly looking toward a few particularly fit looking waitresses.

"Dust, Coco, I have Velvet's number. Don't make me regret this."

"Hey, I was just joking." Coco quickly backpedaled. "About myself. _You_ , on the other hand, could totally use a good lay."

"Coco…" Weiss growled.

"Fine, fine." Coco raised her hands in defeat. "But this is a good place to find work. The best, really, if you know how to ask."

"A club? Really, is Vale _that_ poorly run that its best Hunting hub is a nightclub?"

"Maybe we just know how to have a good time."

"Hmpf. Show me where this supposed 'work' is and we'll see."

"Oh don't worry, there _will_ be work." Coco said, and with that she walked off toward the bar.

"Well I for one am no longer certain that we have the same definition of work. Honestly, what's the best contract one could hope to- ah!" Weiss said as Coco suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her off in a different direction.

"Coco?!" Weiss yelled. "The hell are you doing? You best not have spotted some past paramour!"

Coco whipped around, grinning. "Why? Would you like me to introduce you?"

Weiss glared at her and oh-so-subtly started forming a small glyph, eye level with Coco.

Coco tilted her head down so she could look at Weiss over her sunglasses. "Saw an old friend. One that just might be able to get you your precious work."

"Then what are you doing standing around?! Get a move on!"

Coco and Weiss walked up to a booth in the far corner of the club. Weiss had no idea whom Coco thought she'd seen; there was no one in the area. Save for one bored looking woman in a red cloak seated at the booth.

 _Could that be her?_ Weiss thought. The cloak obscured too much of her figure to properly analyze the woman. Lacking any other course of action, Weiss looked expectantly to Coco.

Coco glanced around. "Damn, where is she?" She turned to the hooded woman. "Did you happen to see where a blonde with more breast than any professional fighter should be able to manage went?" Weiss had to fight the urge to bury her head in her hands.

The figure shifted to look at Coco and her hood fell from her head. Weiss would be lying if she said that the woman didn't cut a remarkably attractive figure. Her brown shoulder length hair framed her face nicely, although Weiss was unsure about the red highlights evident at the tips. Her eyes, however- her eyes were the most striking shade Weiss had ever seen. A gorgeous pure silver. And not just were they beautiful, but also so full of life and-

 _I'm letting Coco get to me, aren't I?_ Weiss thought. _Get a hold of yourself, Weiss. I am here to keep my skills sharp while on leave and represent the good face of the SDC and- oh Dust, why do I even try to convince myself of that? I'm here because father has tired of me and General Ironwood is far too willing to acquiesce to that man. He only sees me as a reserve Winter, anyway. So be it. If they want me out of the way doing some meaningless job then at least I can try to do_ something _with it. Maybe I'll even be able to see what it's like to be a normal Huntress for once._

 _Regardless, I am certainly not here to ogle a pretty face, no matter how pretty it is… I'm going to kill Coco._

"Hey!" Coco yelled, snapping the heiress out of her contemplation. "Have you been listening at all? Gods, maybe you _are_ just another airhead."

Weiss opened her mouth to claim offense, but Coco cut her off.

"This is Ruby Rose." She said. "She and her sister are both Beacon grads, and might have something for you. That right, Red?"

"Oh, uh, yeah!" Her voice was much more… cheery than Weiss was expecting. "We're looking for some people to form a team with, actually. Yang's talking to someone else right now, so uh, we might only have one more spot left. You can wait for her to come back, or-"

"Oh, that's fine." Coco said. "I was just leaving anyway."

"What?" Weiss turned to look at her friend. "You're just leaving me?"

"I found you a job, didn't I? You owe me for this, Schnee. In the meantime, I have a certain Bunny waiting for me back home, so yes, I'll be off."

"Oh, well, uh, nice to meet you!" Ruby said as Coco turned around.

Coco nodded an acknowledgment. "You too. Tell your sister I said hey." She leaned in close to Weiss as she walked away, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck with her."

Weiss was almost glad to be rid of her at that point.

She turned to the hooded girl, Ruby. "So, you have an opening for me?"

"Oh, uh, yeah!" Ruby said. "I mean, if you're interested and all…"

 _Okay then._ Weiss thought. _She doesn't seem to have the greatest business acumen. Coco said she was from Beacon?_

"Yes, I am." Weiss said. "Or rather, I might be. Depending on what the work will be, of course."

"Oh, well, we're not too sure about that yet."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

"Well hopefully, like, if you come on, and that other girl my sister's talking to does too, then we'll have a full team of four. So we'll _probably_ be able to take on some pretty big jobs, 'cause, my sister and I, at least, we uh, we can already take on jobs meant for a full team, so with you two, we might-"

"You and your sister are of above average skill level, allowing you to take on contracts intended for teams of four." Weiss interrupted. "Your hope is that the two new people you bring on, presumably me and the other prospect being interviewed by your sister, will also be of acceptably above average skill level. Thus this team will be able to take on high level contracts, perhaps those meant for several teams. Correct?"

"Uh, yeah, that, pretty much." Ruby's voice was quiet.

Ruby was clearly uncomfortable. She seemed to be extremely nervous and inexperienced. Weiss could only hope that this wasn't indicative of her skills on the battlefield.

"You and your sister," Weiss said. "You both graduated from Beacon, correct?"

"Yep!" Ruby perked right back up. "She graduated second only to Pyrrha Nikos in combat, and last I checked, I still hold the record for most overall Grimm kills during field practicals."

 _Pyrrha Nikos._ Weiss thought. _Same age as me, then, I believe. If what she says is true, perhaps her claims of her sister and her being as effective as a full team are at least somewhat credible. I'll have to check Beacon records to verify._

"And when did you graduate?"

"Two years ago. Four for my sister."

"And you've been working together ever since?"

"That's right."

"Very well." Weiss took the seat opposite Ruby. "I will wait here until your sister returns."

"Oh, uh, cool. So does that mean you want to be on the team?"

"That is not yet determined."

"Oh, right."

There was a silence between the two girls that neither seemed willing to break. Ruby began playing with the strings of her corset, much to Weiss's annoyance.

"I get that you're not exactly the business type," Weiss said, making Ruby's head snap back up. "But you could at least show some common courtesy"

Ruby chuckled nervously. "Sorry, uh…"

"And we do still have matters to discuss."

"We do?"

"In the case that I do want the… position, I'm assuming you'll want my qualifications."

"Oh, I mean, not really. Like, if you want to give them, sure, but I don't really care."

Weiss was taken aback. _She doesn't care? How could she not care? What type of naive, irresponsible… child did Coco try to put upon me? I will have to have a talk with her about her questionable choice in acquaintances. This is looking like a waste of my time._

"Well if you aren't going to properly vet your people, then I'm not sure you have any business trying to form partnerships." Weiss said.

Ruby cocked her head to the side. "You're mad that I want to work with you?"

Weiss felt a vein pulse. "Without knowing any of my background? Yes: it is irresponsible, naive, and indicates that this is not at all a serious venture."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'Why?'" Weiss yelled. "Because-"

"Look," Ruby interrupted. "I don't really care about your training or where you got it. Yang and I can handle ourselves, so I'm not worried about us. You're willing to go out there and fight the Grimm, with only two or three people who you haven't even seen in action to have your back. So I'd say either _you're_ the naive one, or you have all the qualifications I need."

"That is no way to run a business." Despite her words, and the implication of her own naivete, Weiss was slightly mollified. She still didn't like it, but could see the logic.

"Hey, I'm not trying to run a business, um, er, … OHMYGODS!" Ruby said.

"What's wrong?!" Weiss had her hand on Myrtenaster and was frantically looking around for any sign of distress.

"I don't even know your name!" Ruby said. "I'm so sorry!"

"Oh, right." Weiss said. She was somewhat used to people already knowing who she was, and introductions were usually handled by a third party, typically her father. She mentally kicked herself for forgetting such a basic part of negotiations.

"Uhh, yeah." Ruby said. "So, like, you already know mine, but, well, I'm Ruby Rose" She extended her hand, but looked down at the table as she did so.

"Weiss Schnee." Weiss said, taking the girl's hand. "And you know, you really should look someone in the eyes when you're talking to them. At the very least when you're introducing yourself." _Not to mention just how gorgeous those eyes are_.

 _...Damnit_

Ruby looked up, smiling shyly. "Heh, sorry. So, Weiss, huh? Well, anyway, like I was saying, I'm not really interested in any of the business stuff, just Hunting and-"

Ruby went on about helping people and being a hero and all sorts of other drivel that Weiss missed while being lost in her thoughts. _Does she really not know who I am?_ She thought.

Between her old musical performances, fame as an heiress, and becoming something of the face of the SDC, she considered herself to be moderately well known. Her fast rise up the ranks of the Atlas Military only made her more so in the Hunting community. That Ruby didn't know her was frankly baffling.

 _Or maybe she's trying to not let on how much she knows. In any game of power, you never reveal your full hand. Maybe she's trying to put me off guard?_

Weiss considered what she'd seen of Ruby thus far. _If she_ is _playing me, she is exceptional. It's more likely, no matter how unlikely it may be, that she simply doesn't know who I am._

"-so I really just like fighting Grimm for all sorts of reasons, but mainly just to make people's lives better, ya know?"

"Indeed," Weiss said, not really paying attention to the conversation anymore. It seemed that once she found a topic to talk about, Ruby did not have an "off" option.

"Excuse me," Weiss said as she stood from the booth. "I have a few matters to take care of. I will return shortly."

"Oh, okay!" Ruby said. "The bathroom's down the hall and to the right!" She called to Weiss's retreating back.

 _What?!_ Weiss thought. _Is she honestly- urgh!_

A few calls to the right people later, and Weiss had the transcripts from Beacon's graduating classes two and four years previous. And near the top of the more recent files, there she was. _Ruby Rose._ It appeared that she had the best individual marks in her class. Not just the best, but far ahead of her second. She remembered what Ruby had said about her Grimm kills, and combed the files for that record. When she found it her eyes damn near popped out of her head.

" _Last I checked, I still hold the record" She said. No way in hell anyone's even going to come_ close _to this. It's practically double the second highest._

Despite all that, Ruby's team grade was rather low, comparatively. A quick scan of her teammates' records explained why, however. Of the other three, two had only barely graduated, and one was just below the median of the class.

Weiss understood exceptionalism, of course, but this was ridiculous. She would have to dig deeper to ascertain whether the girl's teammates were truly that far below her, or if Ruby was an extremely poor leader.

She switched to the records from four years ago. Right below Pyrrha Nikos in 'Combat Rankings' sat one Yang Xiao Long. Ruby had called her sister "Yang", but Xiao Long? Ruby's name was Rose. Weiss would have to look into that more.

 _Or just ask._ Weiss thought upon reflection. _Not everything has to be corporate cloak-and-dagger, you idiot._

Other than that, Yang seemed to be a fairly average student, with substandard scores in the more academic courses but excelling in combat.

 _Your average brute, then._ Weiss thought, resigning herself to being the intellect of whatever team ended up forming.

Regardless, it seemed that Ruby had not been boasting when it came to her and her sister's abilities in combat. Given Weiss's lack of other connections in the city, she decided that what lay before her would have to suffice, and made her way back to the booth.

* * *

Blake followed Yang back into the club, having to stop herself from wincing as she stepped through the doors back into the crushing ambience.

"Ha!" Yang said, causing Blake to jump. "Looks like my sis found another recruit after all. Looks fancy."

Blake surveyed the booth they were approaching, and it took damn near all of her willpower not to bolt on the spot from what, or rather _whom_ , she saw.

Weiss fucking Schnee.

The proverbial boogeyman of near half the faunus's life.

How many times had they squared off in the past, regardless of whether or not the heiress realized it? How many convoys had the platinum haired girl signed off on, only for Blake to raid? How many of _her_ men had she killed?

And now here she was: in a corner of a poorly lit club. How many times in the past would she have killed for this opportunity? How many people? She even had her back to the faunus. It was too perfect.

 _Would it be worth it?_ Blake thought. _Damnit Blake, of course not!_ _No exit strategy._ _You'd be giving your life to take hers._

Not that the ex-White Fang wouldn't have done just that a few years ago. Hell, she'd have been ecstatic to. What better way to die, than taking out a Schnee?

Keeping her face completely impassive, she proceeded forward.

 _No._ She thought. _This is my chance. A chance to put all of that behind me! Not to dive back in headfirst! I left because no matter how many so-called 'oppressors' fell, nothing changed. Why would she be any different?_

 _Because_ she _is the Heiress to the largest faunus exploitation company on Remnant?_ A distant part of her brain countered. She did her best to ignore it.

 _Yang is putting an awful lot of faith in me._ She reasoned. _She probably wouldn't appreciate me covering the table in Schnee. The least I can do is wait until she goes down an alley or something, like a reasonable murderer._

Logic aside, it remained a struggle to maintain her stoicism as she took a seat next to a face she was most accustomed to seeing with a target over it. Ruby gave her a small wave as her sister took a seat across from Blake. Her old foe, on the other hand, gave no indication that she either noticed or cared about the new arrivals.

"So," Ruby chirped. "I guess everyone's on board then? Good. So uh, I guess the plan is for us to take on something small first. Ya know, something any half-decent team should be able to handle."

"Yep!" Yang said. "Then depending on how much ass we kick on _that_ mission, we'll decide how much we want to take on in the future. Any objections?"

Evidently there were none.

"Okay," Ruby said. "Yang and I'll handle getting the mission, you two just meet us at the airship station at, say, 2 PM?"

Schnee simply nodded, stood, and walked away, her business concluded.

"Oh, well, bye! See you tomorrow!" Ruby shouted. Less than a minute and the brunette was already proving herself to be nausea-inducingly sweet.

"You alright with all that, Blake?" Yang asked.

"Yes. See you tomorrow. Thank you." She said.

Without another sound or even a glance in the sisters' direction, she stalked out of the club and into the night. She just hoped that no one had noticed her panicked breaths or the sweat beading down her face.

 _Fuck me._

* * *

The next morning there would be several noise complaints directed at Yang and Ruby's shared apartment, on account of the frantic yelling of: "HOW IN THE NAME OF DUST DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO WEISS SCHNEE IS?!"


	3. Executive Platinum

As promised, Yang and Ruby had gotten a contract for a simple mission to test their new teammates with. They were just waiting for the other two at the airship port while going over the mission.

It was a pretty routine 'the Grimm invaded a town, go kill them all' mission, the way Ruby liked them. No need to worry about civilians or collateral damage. Hey, not her fault that all her best mobility skills involved firing bullets in every direction.

The actual signing of the contract had left Ruby a bit uneasy, though. Apparently Blake wasn't actually licensed, which meant she wasn't in any system, not even the Interkingdom Hunter Registry, so there was no way for them to put her on the contract. So that was already kinda a problem, ethically at least. And then there was Weiss...

When Ruby had told her sister about their white haired teammate, Yang couldn't believe it. Literally. Once she'd decided that Ruby wasn't fucking with her, she'd assumed that whoever Ruby had talked to was either delusional or trying to mess with them. So they decided that it'd be best to keep her off the contract too.

Ruby considered the girl she'd met last night. She certainly _seemed_ like an heiress, in retrospect. Kinda snooty, caring about "qualifications" and talking about "business acumen". Granted, Ruby wasn't entirely sure what that had meant, but it _sounded_ like something a rich person would say.

Aside from that, Ruby didn't know what to make of the alleged Atlesian. If what Yang told her was true, she must be an amazing huntress. The second youngest Specialist in Atlesian history, second only to her sister. And something about her doing so while also handling a part of her family's business.

Ruby could see why Yang was doubtful that it was actually her. Why the hell would Weiss Schnee want to join up with some random huntresses in Vale?

Ruby hoped it was her, though. And not just so that she'd have one over Yang. She wasn't sure why, but part of her had actually really liked the standoffish woman. Well, she had _some_ ideas.

"Who's that blush for, eh Rubes?" Yang's voice shook the brunette from her thoughts. "Hoping your princess really shows?"

"I told you, it _is_ her," Ruby said, frowning at her sister. "She looked just like those pictures you showed me. She even had the scar!"

"Pfft! That could've been faked. Hey, I bet I can find some pretty convincing nudes if you want proof."

"Yang!" Ruby said, eyes wide and cheeks red.

"Is that a yes?"

"A yes to what?" Came a new voice. Quickly followed by the sound of Ruby choking and a horrified look on Yang's face.

"Are you okay?!" Weiss's voice came again.

"Uh, yeah, fine." Ruby said. She turned to grin at the new arrival. "You're here!"

"Well of course I am," Weiss said. "You did specify two o'clock, correct?"

Ruby checked her scroll: two PM exactly. "Yep! Just glad you could make it!"

Ruby took another look at Weiss. She was dressed nearly completely in white, with a smattering of blue and red. She had on a full suit; white jacket, white pants, and a blue shirt with a red tie. All of it looked custom tailored and fitted. And Ruby didn't know much about fashion or fabrics, but it all looked rather fancy. And expensive.

"Are you gonna… hunt? In that?" Ruby asked.

"What do you mean?" Weiss said.

"It just looks a bit, I dunno, fancy? Not really great for fighting in."

Weiss looked her up and down. "You appear to be wearing a skirt."

Ruby was wearing her regular Hunting clothes. She had a dark grey, nearly black shirt that left her forearms bare. Which also revealed her tattoo; a rose vine that circled its way from her left wrist up her arm, though the part covered by her shirt only continued to just past her elbow. She wanted to finish the design at her shoulder, but hadn't had enough time between Hunts that it would have the time to heal. A few of the thorns also had the appearance of going beneath her skin.

Otherwise she had her usual black corset with red laces. Obviously she also had her cloak, and a belt with specialized ammo for Crescent Rose hung on her hip.

The article that Weiss seemed to take objection to was a mid-thigh length black combat skirt, with her rose emblem emblazoned in red on the side. She'd opted not to wear her leggings for this mission, knowing they'd just get torn to shreds.

"It's a _combat_ skirt, thank you very much!" Ruby said.

"Oh!" Weiss said, with a great deal of enthusiasm. "I used to wear a combat skirt!"

"Really?" Ruby's eyes were wide.

"Yes." She said, this time with no enthusiasm whatsoever. "When I was a _child_."

Ruby pouted and kicked the ground.

Yang huffed and walked between the two shorter women. Weiss took a step back, but when Yang just took another step forward she settled for looking cross.

"Look," Yang said. "My sis ain't gonna say it, so I will. Are you _really_ Weiss Schnee?"

"Of course!" Weiss looked offended. "Who do you take me for?"

"Aren't you in the military or somethin'?"

"I'm on leave." Her voice was cold.

"And you're spending your leave… fighting?"

"What I choose to do with my time is my own business."

"Uh huh"

Weiss said nothing. Instead, she walked to the nearest airship that was unloading. After what looked like a few words with the attendant, she boarded.

"Did she just… leave?" Yang asked.

"I don't think so," Ruby said. "Doesn't look like that one's leaving soon. You might've pissed her off though."

"What'd I do?!"

"Guess she doesn't like questions."

At that point Weiss walked off the ship, talking on her scroll as she walked back toward the sisters. The two just looked at each other and shrugged.

"Yes, thank you." Weiss closed her scroll, having returned from… whatever it was she'd done. "Well, we shan't have to worry about transportation to or from our mission, then."

"And that would be because…" Ruby said.

"Because that airship is now property of the SDC," She frowned. "Well, actually, I used my own account, so I suppose that's now part of my personal fleet."

"You have a personal fleet of airships?" Ruby asked, mouth agape.

"Well… I do now." She said with a slight grin. Ruby was decently sure that that was the first time she'd seen the heiress smile.

 _She actually has a really nice smile._ Ruby thought.

"Oh, well, thank you, Ruby." Weiss said.

 _Shit, did I say that out loud?_ Ruby thought.

"Yep!" Yang laughed. "Nice job, sis!"

 _Dust's sake, brain!_ Thankfully, she seemed to have kept that thought restrained.

"Um, so, anyway," Weiss said, looking at the ground. "We can leave whenever you're ready."

 _Holy shit,_ Ruby thought. _Is she… flustered?! Just from that? Well damn. I'd've thought she'd be more used to stuff like that. I don't think I've seen her stumble or anything. I wonder-_

"Haha, what's wrong?" And there was Yang, the social equivalent of a Burn dust bomb. Also occasionally the physical one, semblance permitting. "Weiss Schnee can't take a compliment from a pretty lady?"

Weiss looked up with a glare that, well, caused _Yang_ to hesitate. And if that wasn't an indication of how threatening it was, Ruby didn't know what was.

"You will find that I am capable of _plenty_ , Xiao Long." the Heiress said. "However one thing that I consistently find myself unable to do is work with unprofessional, unqualified, imbeciles."

Yang shot back a grin full of confidence that Ruby had seen many times before. Granted, it usually preceded the first punch thrown in a bar fight that some drunken idiot had started by challenging her sister, but still. "Well then, looks like it's your lucky day, Princess."

"We shall see."

"Anyway," Ruby interjected. "We're just waiting for that Blake girl, right?"

"I'm ready to head out." Said a smooth voice from behind Ruby.

"GAH!" Ruby screamed and leapt forward, turning in midair to face the new arrival. "Uh, when did you get here?"

"Earlier." Blake said.

"Well, yes, but how _much_ earlier?" Weiss asked.

"Early enough to know we have an airship now."

"Perfect!" Yang said. "All good to go then?"

All the other girls nodded in response.

"Right, let's get going then." Ruby said. "Team RWBY, ready for mission zero!"

* * *

"Yes, I understand that it's a color," Weiss said. "What I'm concerned about is that putting _your_ initial first would seem to imply that you're the leader."

Schnee and Rose had been arguing over the name of the team (the team, as Blake had attempted to remind them, that they didn't even know would remain together for an appreciable amount of time) for the better part of the first half hour of the flight.

Blake, for her part, was just trying to ignore them and read the trashy romance novel she'd… acquired from the airship port store. She didn't typically steal books, but everything was so overpriced in those ports. She'd buy a copy later if it was worth it.

"Well, yeah," the cloaked Huntress said. "That's 'cause I kinda am. There a problem with that?"

"You're the least experienced!" Blake's old foe shouted. Rather shrilly too, as her hidden ears protested. "You've only been out of school for two years!"

"Ah, but I'm the _most_ experienced leader."

"What?!" Okay, she clearly knew that Blake was ex-Fang. That was the only explanation for shouting in that pitch. She knew and she was trying to kill the faunus with vocal chords alone. "How?! I led my team at Atlas Academy _and_ have had soldiers under my command in some capacity for more than three years now!"

"Oh, I see." Ruby said. "You think _you_ should be the leader. Nah, I'm just the more experienced leader between me and Yang. And seeing as how it was just between us..."

Weiss looked like she was about to shout again, and Blake was seriously reconsidering her provisional decision to let the girl live. Thankfully, it seemed that Ruby also noticed the impending shockwave.

"Hey," their apparent leader said, forcefully, but also with a certain softness to it. "We make up half the team, and technically we hired you. So yeah, I'm the leader. At least for now. Which makes us team RWBY. Understood?"

Weiss glared, but didn't seem to be about to rupture any more eardrums.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes." Ruby said. "Besides, Blake doesn't seem to have any complaints. Who knows, maybe she has more experience than any of us."

 _Oh no._ Blake thought. _Thanks for the vote of confidence and all Ruby, but I'd really prefer that no one here- especially a certain white haired someone- even considers that I_ have _a past._

She gave a small smile. "Maybe a few complaints about the noise level," she held up the book. "But other than that, no. Whatever you say, boss."

Ruby beamed back at her, but the other girl in the cabin gave her a look that set her fur on end.

"What _is_ your background, Ms. Belladonna?" Weiss said.

 _Gods-fucking-damnit._

She steeled her expression and met the heiress's gaze. "Grew up in a village halfway between Vale and Vacuo. Never really had a name, as far as I can remember. That far outside the kingdoms, you don't fight, you don't eat. Everyone pulled their weight, I just happened to pull a bit extra."

"So," Ruby said. "Why'd you leave? Don't they need you?"

"Not anymore." Blake grimaced and looked at the ground. She never was any good at crocodile tears.

"Oh," Weiss said, with what sounded like an attempt at actual sincerity. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's alright," Blake said, lifting her head slightly. She rubbed her face with her coat to wipe away imaginary tears. Thankfully they wouldn't have shown up on the black fabric regardless.

Blake looked back at Weiss. "Only natural that you'd ask. Anyway, eventually I just ended up in Vale. Don't really have any formal schooling or anything, so all I could really do is fight. I've just been doing odd jobs and freelance work for around three years now."

At some point during her story Ruby had taken a seat next to her. "If… if you need to talk, or something, well I know you don't really know me, or Yang, but-"

"I'll be fine, Ruby," Blake said, surprised to find a genuine smile on her face. "But thank you. That actually does mean a lot."

"Of course!" Ruby threw her arms around the faunus, much to said woman's surprise.

 _What the-_ Blake thought. _This girl is something else. A minute ago she was giving orders to one of the richest people on Remnant_ , _and now she's… I don't even know._

She gently pushed the crimson Huntress off of her, and Ruby shyly slid back and shifted her gaze to the floor.

"Speaking of backgrounds," Blake said, hoping to change the subject. "Where did your sister learn to fly an airship?"

Ruby looked back up. As did Weiss, who had previously been consumed by her scroll. Presumably once emotions had made an appearance.

"Yes," the Atlesian said. "I'd been wondering that as well."

"Oh," Ruby said. "You know… places. You learn a lot when you're hunting solo for a couple of years."

"Solo?" Weiss said. "As in completely alone?"

"That would be the definition of 'solo'" Blake said.

"Oh quiet, you."

"Uh, anyway, yeah." Ruby said, glancing between the bickering pair. "Before I graduated Beacon, Yang went all around Remnant on her own. Guess she picked it up then."

"Interesting." Weiss said, returning to her scroll.

"Indeed," said Blake. She knew she probably shouldn't poke the sleeping Ursa, but it made such fun noises. "And to think, we'd never have known if you'd thought to hire a pilot when you decided you needed to buy an airship."

"I hardly see how that matters." Weiss grumbled.

"I'm just saying," Blake continued with a pleased lilt to her voice. "You should be grateful that Yang _did_ know how to fly this thing. I doubt that the port would have been too happy to keep a private ship docked until you figured out what to do with it."

"They would have been plenty happy had I bought the _port_ instead." Weiss said, though Blake was fairly certain it was only audible to her due to a certain heritage of hers that she'd rather not reveal.

Their mission site wasn't too far outside of Vale, so all told the trip wouldn't take much longer than an hour. After Ruby had gone up to the cockpit to keep her sister company, things settled down a bit. Blake even managed to get through a decent portion of her book, though she didn't think she'd end up buying this one. She did however spend a frustrating amount of time thinking about her fellow passenger.

While the heiress wasn't the nicest person Blake had met, she certainly didn't appear to be _evil_. A bit bitchy and stuck up perhaps, but not much worse than any other rich human could be expected to be. Hell, Blake had to be at least _somewhat_ impressed that Weiss had decided to fight and not just live off of daddy's money in comfort.

Allover, Blake had decided that she had no more, or at the most marginally more, reason to kill Weiss than anyone else. She would be watching the woman closely, but thus far had seen none of the character that the White Fang had fed to her for years. Granted, the White Fang had said that Weiss Schnee hunted faunus for sport, and received her scar from a White Fang agent who had purposefully been captured in order to end her tyranny, but was still tragically defeated by lies and trickery.

 _Fucking gods of light and dark._ Blake thought. _How the hell did I ever buy that?_

 _Easy._ She responded to herself. They _weren't selling._ He _was._

Deciding not to dwell on _that_ particular part of her past any longer, she looked out the window to see if she could see anything that might have been their destination. Ruby told them they'd be setting up a base of operations a bit outside the infested town, so they still hadn't been briefed on much. She probably wanted the whole team, her sister included, present when they were.

All Blake knew was that it was some small village that had been overrun by Grimm some time in the last week. A fair number of civilians had managed to escape to another nearby settlement. Not all, or even most, of course. But more than usual.

 _Not too different from my cover_. She realized. _Should probably keep that in mind, just in case._

She didn't see anything, but she supposed that it wasn't likely that she would. Even if she did see the village, it wouldn't look any different from the air. Just another village struggling to hold on outside the kingdoms.

"Hello, this is your captain speaking," Yang's voice came through the intercom and knocked Blake out of her thoughts. "We are approaching the landing site. Please put your trays in their upright position, check all weapons and ammo, and prepare to kick some ass!"

* * *

"Settlement outside the kingdoms, huh?" Yang asked her sister, currently occupying the copilot's seat and looking terrified of touching anything. Probably for the best, when she thought about it.

"Between Vale and Vacuo, she said."

"And it, well... ?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm. Interesting."

"Interesting?! Yang, what the hell does that mean?!"

"Keep your voice down, dammit!" Yang whisper-yelled at her sister.

"The fuck is your problem?!" Ruby whisper-yelled back.

"Just calm down, I'll get there." Yang went silent for a bit while she course corrected for some stray winds.

"And while you're at it, Blake brought up an interesting point." Ruby said.

"Oh?"

"Where _did_ you learn to fly an airship?"

"What did you tell her?"

Ruby shrugged. "What I knew. That you went off hunting on your own for a few years and I figured you picked it up then."

Yang grunted. "Then what're you asking me for? Sounds like you figured it out well enough on your own."

"That's not really specific." Ruby pouted. "And I didn't even _know_ you could fly till you offered."

Yang frowned "Your point?"

"My point is that clearly there's some shit that I don't know about my own sister. And don't act like it's not important shit, either."

"You know what you need to, okay?" Yang grimaced once she'd said it. She didn't like it, but...

"Um, no? Not okay. Since when am I on a need to know basis about your life? Yang, we're sisters, partners, we need to-"

"Trust each other?"

"Yeah."

Yang took a moment before speaking. "Well, do you?"

"What?"

"Trust me. Do you trust me?"

Ruby sighed. "Yeah. 'Course I do."

"Then we're good." She said. Not that there'd been any doubt. They'd been through way dicier times before. Like, approaching Branwen-level shit. But still, she didn't like her sister being upset, doubly so when it was her fault.

"And I..." Yang said. "I didn't mean it like that, about you knowing what you need to. I just, well, there's just some stuff that-"

"It's fine, Yang," Ruby said, much sweeter than before. "I just don't like the idea of there being something you don't want to tell me. And not like, because I don't trust you or anything, but because I do, and I know how much you trust me, so like, if there's something you don't want to tell me it's gotta be something big or scary or something so that's why, not because I don't trust you, but because I do."

Yang rolled her eyes and chuckled at her sister's ramblings. "I gotcha, Rubes. And yeah, there's some stuff that I really _should_ tell you, but just… can't, yet. But I will, okay? Eventually."

"Yeah, you better, ya dumb bonfire. 'Cause no way I'm I letting you handle this, whatever the hell it is, alone."

"Yeah, yeah, I will." And she meant it. Once _she_ knew the whole story, Ruby would be the first to know. "And who're you calling a bonfire, you Grimm Reaper wannabe? If anything, I'm a _Blonde_ fire."

The sisters dissolved into giggles until Yang remembered she was supposed to be flying an airship. The unexpected turbulence did wonders to sober them up. Until Ruby got a look at Yang's expression and promptly collapsed again. Yang went to smack the smaller girl but the sudden lurch (and subsequent shouts of indignation from a _very_ upset heiress in the passenger's cabin) gave her enough reason to cede the battle.

She concentrated on flying for another few minutes before speaking up.

"Hey, Ruby," she said.

Her sister jerked up from her scroll. "Yeah?"

"So, Blake."

"What about her?"

"She's… I dunno. She's somethin."

"Wow, Yang. Enlightening." _Little-Grimmdamned-sisters_...

"Shuddup. Look, I didn't want to tell you this before, because her business is her business, and I thought she might say something about it, but-"

"What?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Yang lowered her voice. "Back when we met, I noticed something about her. You notice that bow she's wearing?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cute. Kinda weird, but I've been wearing the same cloak for almost two decades now, so-"

"That was rhetorical, but thanks for the input," Yang said. Honestly, she'd known the girl her entire life, hell she'd practically raised her, and even _she_ couldn't understand the brunette sometimes. "Well she had it last night too. And I am pre-tty sure I saw it move."

"Hmm, so you think-"

Yang nodded. "Pretty sure, yeah. Now like I said, I wasn't gonna say anything, but…"

"But what?" Ruby looked confused. Like 'why are all the cookies gone' confused. General rule of thumb: if you ever have to explain to Ruby why there are no more cookies (or, gods forbid, strawberries), you done fucked up.

"I dunno. Somethin' about her story. I don't like it. And why's she hiding who she is?"

"Not everyone's, you know, cool, about that stuff, Yang."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. But come on. She trusts us with her life but not with who she is?"

"Maybe she's scared."

"Maybe."

"So what do you mean about her story? It seemed fine to me. I mean, not fine, it actually kinda sucks. But it happens. We're on our way to clean one up now, for Dust's sake."

"Mhm," Yang thought for a moment. "Just… something about her. It doesn't fit. You see her weapon?"

Ruby's face lit up.

Yang shook her head. "Who am I kidding, of course you did. Well, what did you think of it?"

"Pretty freaking awesome, honestly. She keeps it underneath her jacket, so I didn't get too good a look, but what I did see wasn't bad. Definitely some type of rectangular blade, like a cleaver. But I saw a trigger mechanism and a mag, too."

"Heh," Yang said. "There's more." Ruby leaned across the console, eyes wide and completely oblivious to the controls she was a sneeze away from disturbing. "That cleaver thing? There's another sword inside of _that_. And it folds in on itself"

"Ooooh," Ruby looked like she was in love. Or, well, like she'd just heard about a cool weapon. Honestly, Yang didn't know what Ruby would look like if she fell in love, but Yang couldn't imagine it would look much different from her 'cool new weapon' face.

"Anyway," Yang said, pushing her sister back to her seat, _away_ from any sensitive instruments. "That's _not_ a weapon some militia from outside the kingdoms would be using."

"Maybe it's new? Like she bought or built it after she moved to Vale?"

"I dunno. That seems too unique to switch to. Two swords and a gun? You need at least some level of Hunting-grade tech for that style. And that's _not_ common outside the kingdoms."

The sisters sat in thought for a while. Yang made a few more navigation calibrations to make sure they were still on course.

"Wait," Ruby said. "How do you know what it looks like?"

"She, uh, may have pointed it at me. The gun part, not the folding blade thingy."

"Why was she pointing a gun at you?" Uh oh. Ruby sounded about ready to go introduce Blake to her own weapon.

"It's fine!" Yang said. "It was fine, just, uh, a misunderstanding. Although, now that I think about it, that was kinda off too. All I did was grab her wrist, and all of a sudden she was ready to fight for her life. See what I mean?"

"If you're so suspicious of her, why the hell did you even take her on? At least without talking to me about it first?"

"I'm suspicious of who she says she is, not who she is."

"Uh… what?" Ruby said. She looked confused again. It was kinda adorable.

"Yes, I think she's lying. Or at least, she's not telling the whole truth. At the very least she's leaving out one rather big fact about who she is."

"You're not helping me here, sis."

" _But_ ," Yang said. "I don't think she's lying about wanting to help. Wanting to be a legit Huntress. I think she's a good person, but there's something she's not telling us. So watch out, is all I'm saying."

"I still wish you'd have talked to me about this before." Ruby sighed.

"Yeah, me too," Yang said. "But it seemed like she was gonna bolt if I didn't act quick, and it's not like we were gonna find anyone else."

Ruby fell silent at that, seemingly accepting Yang's reasoning. But less than a minute later her eyes widened as she looked at her sister.

"Oh my Dust." Ruby said. "You like her."

"What?!" Yang said. "Do not."

"Yang Xiao Long, you brought an unknown element, one you yourself have reservations about, onto this mission because you want into her pants. And, now that you're feeling guilty about it, you so _graciously_ warned your dear little sister."

"Rube," Yang said, slumping down a bit in the pilot's seat. "That is _so_ not what happened. Does that really sound like something I would do?"

Ruby raised a brow.

"Okay," Yang said. "I'll admit I kinda walked into that one. But that's still not what happened. Like I said, we didn't really have any better options. And I still don't think she's _bad_!"

"What about your friends from Beacon?" Ruby said.

"I told you! We didn't work well as a team."

"Not them. Weren't you friends with JNPR?"

"Oh," Yang said. Gods, that just brought back some memories. "Well, yeah, kinda. I mean, pretty much everyone was. Hell, even your team talked to them a good bit, right?"

"Well yeah, but come on, Yang. You were pretty close with them. Like, closer than to your own team."

Yang shrugged. "Maybe. But they've all got their own stuff now. Haven't really heard from Ren and Nora in like a year, and pretty sure Pyrrha and Jaune are doing their own thing too."

"Yeah, Hunting! If we really needed them to, I'm sure they would've agreed. Not like we haven't Hunted with them before."

"Yeah, but we need a team, Ruby. And they're not gonna do that. You know that and I know that. Otherwise they'd be back in that cabin, not The Sass and The Ass."

Ruby smirked. "Which is which?"

"Both," Yang said, grinning like Nora with a leg-breaking machine. "They're both pretty sassy, but while Blake _has_ an ass, Weiss _is_ one."

Ruby laughed, but still hit Yang on the shoulder. "That's not nice, you know. They _are_ our teammates now."

Yang smiled. "Yep. So, team RWBY, huh? You stay up all night working that one out?"

"Shut up!" Ruby went as red as her namesake. "At least _I'm_ not the one who potentially endangered both of us for some hot piece of ass!"

"No… you're clearly in it for some cold piece of ass- those SDCurves, eh?"

"Yang!"

"Come on, Ruby, you absentmindedly complimented her smile! You aren't even that comfortable talking to people after Qrow and I give you a couple of shots and get you plastered."

"That doesn't even make any sense! If I liked her, wouldn't I be _more_ nervous around her? And I do _not_ get 'plastered' after a couple of shots!"

"I dunno, maybe you're just weird like that. And those weakass fruity shots don't count."

Ruby growled.

It wasn't too much later when Yang spotted the site that'd been suggested for a base of operations.

"Hello, this is your captain speaking," Yang spoke into the mic. "We are approaching the landing site. Please put your trays in their upright position, check all weapons and ammo, and prepare to kick some ass!"

Ruby looked sideways at her sister. "You do realize we're just setting up the base first, right?"

Yang groaned. "Of course we are."


	4. Mission Zero

A Beowolf above her, right claw raised over its head for a cross body swipe.

 _Move front foot out. Flick wrist to put sword outside opponent's guard._

The claw was getting closer… closer… no more than three feet away from her.

 _Attack coming into range. Move back foot directly behind front, inside arcing block across body._

With the beast close enough for her to smell its rank breath, her sword cut across her body, intercepting the trajectory of the strike. The Grimm had now landed, deadly limbs facing away from her and off balance.

 _Release blade and catch in reverse grip. Do not stop arc._

Two red beams turned to glare into her eyes. She could only assume that this did not have the intended effect.

 _Move front foot inside opponent's guard and lower center of mass. Continue arc._

The black mass, now nearly embracing her, opened its maw to let loose a terrible snarl.

 _Bring back foot to meet front, raise center of mass, and finish arc in simultaneous motion._

The guttural sound of the creature's growl was quickly silenced and replaced by an equally abhorrent noise, this one made not of the being's own choice, but by its primal instinct to evacuate the liquid now spilling down its throat.

Weiss removed Myrtenaster from the dying Beowolf's skull, her strike having successfully impaled the beast from beneath its mandible. Her blade freed, she shoved the already dissolving corpse away from her and surveyed the area.

 _Two 'wolves at thirty paces to my front, and three more at the same distance to the right. A collapsed building blocks any movement to my left._ She thought. _They're approaching, but cautiously. Early evaluation: these are the older members of the pack. The ones that stayed back and waited while I took care of the young and reckless._

She'd already eliminated a fair number of Beowolves (23, if she'd tracked correctly), but if these were older, they'd be stronger. Strong enough that she'd need help taking on five at once.

She held Myrtenaster in front of her and concentrated. She thought back to the first mission she'd led, years ago at the Academy. While at the time she'd thought it a complete failure, in retrospect it had taught her more lessons than any other in her years as a student.

A perturbation appeared in the air before her. No more than a speck, but glowing a blinding white. In an instant, it expanded to a much larger familiar shape. Her glyph continued to grow as she could feel her aura funneling into it. Naturally, it had yet to be diminished on this mission.

When the radiant snowflake had reached a diameter easily twice her height, she knew it was ready. Not through any calculations or heuristics, but a feeling deep inside her. Truthfully, she wouldn't know how to describe it if she tried. All she knew was that the glyph had reached the optimal point. It was ready.

She ceased the aura flow and focused on the glyph. The symbol glowed even brighter and began to rotate. The speed increased until it appeared to be more of a solid disk than a fractalized pattern.

The Beowolves seemed to have decided on a plan of attack as well. Or perhaps her actions had threatened them, spurred them into action. The group of two had diverted from approaching her straight on, instead electing to cut a wide path such that she was between them and the group of three.

"Hmph!" She felt insulted. _You beasts think you'll pin_ me _down?_

The wolves broke into a run.

Weiss whipped her sword over her head and let loose a scream that would have struck fear into the Grimm themselves, were they capable of any such feeling.

The glyph erupted into three sizable Griffons, glowing and ethereal. Two tore off behind her, toward the three. The lone Griffon took the wolves in front of her as its quarry. Another glyph was summoned, this one a deep black, and Weiss chased after her summon.

The Beowolves were confused for a split second, giving her the opening she needed. With the remaining momentum from her propulsion glyph, Weiss slammed Myrtenaster's pommel into the bone-mask of the one on the left.

She felt herself carry past the collision and quickly called another glyph into existence in front of her. She contorted her body midair so her feet connected with the floating sigil. She came to a stop for the briefest of moments before being shot back in the opposite direction.

The wolf she'd struck was still dazed when Myrtenaster ran through its right leg. With slight aid from her aura, she ripped the blade through the side of the beast's leg and rolled to a standing position a dozen feet from her opponents. Then an awful lot of things happened at once.

When piecing the events together later, her brain would assign an order to them, as brains are wont to do. But truthfully, she couldn't say for certain which occurrence followed which.

First, the brutalized Beowolf made to enact its retribution upon her. It jumped the whole of the distance that separated them, landing well within range of a strike. She could have done any number of things; propel herself away, block the incoming strike with a force glyph, or simply duck. Unfortunately she was preoccupied with other circumstances that her brain would paradoxically tell her happened after the fact. So instead she fell flat on her flat ass.

Fortunately, the wolf was unable to capitalize. The instant it landed it had collapsed into a mangled heap of limbs. Somewhere in the back of Weiss's mind she was berating herself for not realizing that she'd severed the beast's hamstring, completely impairing its ability to support itself after such a landing.

Second, her summoned Griffon came down on the other wolf she'd been facing. The white beast had gained a sizable altitude before commencing a divebomb. Such a maneuver would have been ridiculous for any normal creature. But Weiss's summon didn't care that it would inevitably be just as dead as its foe when it slammed into the cobblestone directly below its prey.

There was not so much a fight as an explosion of white and black.

Third, an Alpha Beowolf fell from the sky above her.

At least, as far as she could tell that's what happened.

It seemed that one of the three other 'wolves was in fact an Alpha, and that her summons had failed. Also, one of her summons had decided to bring the Beowolf into the air, perhaps to gain the upper hand in surroundings. Things with wings did tend to have an advantage over things without in the air.

Weiss could only assume that this plan had not worked.

As she also currently dealing with the hamstrung wolf, and was on the ground, the only recourse left to her was to maximize her aura protection. It would put a significant dent in her aura reserves, but she knew at least that her aura could take the hit, unlike her body.

She heard a sharp crack and felt a large mass impact near her. She again braced for the incoming attack, but it never came.

 _Was that sound- did it already hit me?_ She thought. _Did it land on me? I feel fine, but I could be in shock._

She lowered her arms from in front of her face and unsteadily made her way to her feet. At her side lay the Alpha, minus a sizeable portion of its head.

By the time Weiss put the scene to her back, on her way to the next area of the broken village, the beast had already disintegrated from the pinpoint shot of a sniper.

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

" _Alright team!" Ruby said, positively brimming with positivity, as usual. "Five days ago, reports reached Vale that the village of Reach had been attacked. Thankfully, a decent number of people made it to the surrounding villages. Which means that_ we _have a job to do! Those people need their homes back, so it's up to us to get rid of the Grimm still lurking around the village and surrounding areas."_

 _They were standing in the middle of their makeshift base camp, on a hill that overlooked the valley that housed the village. Ruby stood in front of a hastily drawn map while the other three stood opposite her around a table._

 _What Weiss found most surprising was how much the red cloaked Huntress seemed to genuinely care about the displaced peoples. Weiss did too, of course; she wasn't heartless. But this was her job. As a specialist, she'd seen and heard enough horror stories to develop a professional detachment. She cared, but mostly in a respectful sense._

" _From what we've heard," their 'Leader' continued. "It should be mostly Beowolves within the village. There were no large Grimm reported, but we can assume that it's possible for one or two of them to have been drawn to the area afterwards. Outside we can expect some more 'wolves and Ursai. Wouldn't be surprised to see some Creeps scattered all over either._

" _Oh, on another note, this is the nearest village to Vale to be completely overrun within the past few years, so watch out for anything weird. No clue why, but the Grimm might be more aggressive or something. Everyone good?"_

" _Do we have an actual_ plan _for this Hunt?" Weiss asked, biting back a quip about Ruby's leadership._

"' _Course we do, Princess!" Yang answered. Weiss could feel a vein in her temple throb. "Remember, important as this Hunt is, it's not a biggy. Rubes and I just wanna see how Blakey and you handle yourselves."_

" _Right!" Ruby said. "So, Weiss, I'll go with you, and Yang'll go with Blake. Oh, and we'll pretty much just be giving you guys support on this one."_

" _Wait," Weiss said. "You don't intend to directly fight? How is that at all-"_

" _Chill, Ice Queen." That damned_ Brute _again. "We wanna see how good you are. And how you fight, ya know, what your style is. Can't really do that if we're worried about fighting too."_

" _And what if_ I _wanted to assess_ your _capabilities as well?"_

 _Yang grinned at her. "Tell you what, this all goes well, you can_ assess _my skills up close and personal all you want."_

" _Alright, that's enough Yang." Ruby glared at her sister before turning to the heiress with a softer expression. "Sorry, Weiss, but this is really the only way that makes sense. Like we've said, Yang and I already have a pretty good idea of our strengths and weaknesses, so we just want to get some idea of yours. Hopefully next time you'll get a chance to see us in action."_

" _If there_ is _a next time." Blake, who had been silent up to that point, added._

 _Blake, as far as Weiss could tell, was the only other sane member of team 'RWBY'. Or at least the only other intellectual amongst them. Despite her propensity for sarcasm and tendency to keep to herself, Weiss was glad for her presence._

" _Right." Ruby said. "So, one group will take the town, and the other will handle the area around it. Weiss, Blake, which do you think you'd each be better with?"_

" _Well," Weiss said. "I'm fairly adaptable but find my skills are more allowed to flourish when I'm in an open area and don't have to worry about ambushes."_

 _Blake nodded. "That works fine. I'm used to tight spaces with choke points and corners to duck around"_

" _Great!" Ruby said. "Weiss, you and I'll take the city then!"_

 _Weiss scoffed. "Did you even listen, you dunce?! Our skills clearly align better if you and I take the fields!"_

 _But Ruby seemed unperturbed, still grinning like an idiot. Yang barked out a harsh laugh before Weiss realized her mistake._

" _Weiss," Blake said. "I think that's the-"_

" _I am well aware," she said through tight lips. "Ms. Belladonna, that that was the point."_

" _Right."_

" _Okay then!" Ruby said, still with an obnoxious amount of cheer. "Team RWBY, do whatever you need to prepare, we leave at sixteen thirty hours."_

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

Weiss Schnee loathed tests.

If you'd told that to any of her classmates from Atlas they'd have laughed in your face and called you a fool, but it was true.

And she knew why.

Of course, hating tests isn't anything unique. In fact, most people hate tests. No one likes the possibility of failure, of disappointment.

But for Weiss, the feeling penetrated deeper than a base fear of failing. Most people didn't like failure. Weiss was incapable of it.

Or rather, that was how her father viewed it.

She knew, when the horrible anxiety bubbled into her throat before every exam, despite hours upon hours of preparation beforehand, that _he_ lay at its root. When she sat comfortably at the top of her class and still had to fight back tears whenever she'd earned less than absolutely perfect, she knew that it was all due to _that_ day.

So as Weiss made her way through the partially broken town, torn asunder by the forces of Grimm not a week past, she was more than slightly upset. In fact, it was only her anger that kept that old fear- that dryness of throat and claminess of skin- at bay.

She'd been able to ignore it at first. Ignore what this mission truly was. Because she had been perfect. In every way. Then she stumbled, and it was only because of… _Ruby's_ sharpshooting that she hadn't added another scar to her body.

This was a test, and she already knew she hadn't performed perfectly. And while the thought of that threatened to send the contents of her stomach out through her mouth, she remained calm. Or at least, not anxious, not worried.

Because right now, she was angry. Furious, even. Obviously their first mission would be a trial of sorts, some way to assess their skills. But Ruby… she'd taken that, and turned it into some crude reenactment of Weiss's nightmare.

With the other girl out of view, merely observing Weiss save for dire circumstances, this had clearly become a test. A test not unlike one she'd taken, and failed, years ago.

The rational part of Weiss's mind, one which she prided herself on, knew that Ruby couldn't have known all that, and just wanted to see the heiress's abilities.

But another part of her was raging at being put on the spot like this. In the past, she'd dealt with the anxiety by being one hundred percent certain that she'd perfected the material. But here- here there were too many variables, too many unknowns. True, this is what Hunting- what she'd trained for her whole life- was. But she'd never expected to be tested on it so.

Of course, yet another part of her was questioning why she even cared. Even _if_ she failed, why should that matter? Who would think less of her? Ruby? What should her opinion matter? Her, a relatively anonymous huntress from Vale. Her, who was naive enough to trust total strangers with no background checks or references of any type? Her, who… who seemed to care more fully and more genuinely about people than anyone she'd ever known in Atlas.

 _Dust,_ the Huntress thought. _I'm falling apart. Focus on the mission now, everything else can come later._

She shook her head clear, ready to gauge her surroundings with a critical eye. What met her, however, was nothing short of a massacre.

Scores of black bodies sat dissolving in the street. Enough so that the air itself was clouded by their corruption. Standing above the bodies like victorious conquerors were a dozen and a half mirrors of the creatures that now lay dead. She hadn't even realized…

She fought down a bitter laugh at that. It had been years since she'd last lost control in such a way. No doubt, she could do better. She _needed_ to do better.

The Heiress looked over her army of spectral Grimm, and marched on.

The Crimson Huntress was down on one knee atop a cliff overlooking the village. Looking through the scope of Crescent Rose, safety on and her finger nowhere near the trigger, she kept watch over the white haired Huntress.

Even with all of Weiss's talk about how good she was, Ruby was actually pretty damn impressed. She'd only needed to help the other woman out once, and that was with an Alpha. Her semblance was also fucking awesome. Now Weiss seemed content to just let her… Grimm things take care of the rest.

 _Seriously,_ Ruby thought. _No fair. I get to go really fast, and she gets an army._

That said, Weiss had just been standing there for a while, her ghosty Grimm had defeated the last real Grimm in the area a few minutes ago. Ruby was close to calling the heiress to see what was wrong when she suddenly looked up.

Through her scope, Ruby could see the look in Weiss's face. A disgusting grimace and narrowed eyes transformed the Atlesian's normally angelic looks into something… terrifying. It looked like something had pissed the Heiress off, and based on that face alone, not to mention what Ruby'd already seen, she wasn't the type of person to show mercy.

Ruby thumbed her earpiece, connected to her scroll that had her sister pre-dialed.

"Hey Yang," she said. "Yeah, she's good. Really good."

"Glad to hear it, sis!" Yang yelled.

 _CRUNCH_

"What was that?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, you know, just a few bones."

"Yang," her sister sighed through the earpiece. "We were supposed to just support on this mission, remember?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Rubes," Yang said, pausing to flip an Ursa over her shoulder. "I'm keeping a close eye on Blakey. There just turned out to be a few more than we expected."

"You got bored and wanted to punch stuff." Ruby's voice was flat. She seemed unamused. Her sister could be annoyingly serious when she was in 'leader' mode. Yang was proud of her, but still…

"And by a 'few more', I meant a shitload. Lots o' Grimm, mortal peril, gottagobye!" She ended the call.

Blake flipped over the Ursa Yang had thrown, now stunned, and slashed at it with her sheath on the way down.

"Your sister not happy with you giving me a bit more than support?"

"Ugh. You really wouldn't think it from how she is most of the time, but she can be such a damn stickler on hunts."

"Well, if there was ever a time for it…"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess- INCOMING!"

Yang fired a dust rocket over Blake's head, hoping the other woman would have gotten the message to move.

The Beowolf flew backward in pieces, and for a second Yang's heart stopped as it looked like Blake had went with it… when the shadow dissipated and Blake appeared at her back, sword impaling the Creep that had snuck up on the blonde.

"You know?" Yang said as she pummeled another 'wolf in the face. "I think this'll work out _just_ fine."

In a moment, the air itself seemed to still. The few Grimm that were left in the group the two huntresses had been fighting retreated. Yang felt an unnatural tingle in the back of her neck; her hair stood on end and she felt an overwhelming sense of _dread_.

Before she could think about chasing down the retreating beasts, a downright demonic sound split the air. The howl of a Grimm horde. The huntress looked to the distance as she felt her stomach drop. What she'd mistaken for the underbrush of a forest was in fact getting closer. And coming from all directions.

There might have been hundreds of Grimm coming for them, but they all blended together into a great wave of darkness that Yang couldn't hope to actually count them.

"Blake?" She said. She received no response other than a light pressure at her back, and the reloading of a gun.

She was scared. That didn't happen often. A _horde_. What were the odds? But as she readied her aura and sensed Blake do the same, she realized that she felt something else. Adrenaline flowed through her blood, she gritted her teeth, and she was _excited_.

She hadn't felt this in a long-ass time. Fighting with her sister at her side was great, but this was _electrifying_. No matter how good a huntress Ruby became, some part of her would always be the little sister she'd have to protect. But with this mysterious, determined, clever girl… she felt like they could take on the fucking world.

 _So bring it on!_

The Grimm surrounding them certainly tried. The unending mass of black fur and white bone-masks threw itself at the two huntresses. Yang and Blake were synchronized whirlwinds of blades and limbs. When a monster threatened a flank, one of them would break to dispatch the threat a nanosecond before the other was going to. Single words were all that were used to communicate; shouts of "Above!" whenever a Beowolf jumped one partner to threaten the other. Or "Switch!" when the foes were closing in and some disorientation was needed.

The Grimm horde lasted all of ten minutes before there were only a scant few remaining. Those smart enough to broke and ran. The huntresses followed, no longer needing to be on the defensive.

Yang chanced a look at Blake as they pursued. Clearly, the girl had stores of aura rivaling any huntress, despite her lack of training. Even after the nonstop fighting they'd just gone through, she wasn't short of breath even as she sprinted. She did have more than a few scrapes on her, and some blood matted her hair. Didn't seem to bother her at all, though.

Satisfied with the state of her partner, Yang rocketed ahead. Literally. It was only the strength of her aura that kept her arms from tearing off when she fired a dust-rocket burst from Ember Celica at the ground behind her. Sustained fire from her shotguns kept her airborne as she closed the distance.

Once she was above the creatures, she let her semblance activate. She hadn't needed it in the midst of the horde, so all the scrapes and glancing blows she'd received had just built up, simmering under the surface. Unleashing a feral scream, flames licked at her hair as she plummeted toward the ground.

In Yang's mind, there was a split second after she'd hit the ground, a moment of calm before the oncoming storm.

Grimm, by some unknown nature of their existence, do not leave corpses. Their bodies evaporate soon after death. These Grimm, however, would have been scattered to the wind regardless when Yang Xiao Long, The Sun Dragon, fell from the sky. In an instant, they _burned_.

When Yang pulled herself out of the crater she'd blown in the earth, she was met with wide, amber eyes.

"What," Blake said. "Was that?"

Yang grinned. "Didn't want them to get away."

"You exploded!"

"Eh," Yang shrugged. "It happens."

"Some warning would have been nice. I thought I was going to have to explain to Ruby why her sister went up like a back-alley dust shop!"

Yang laughed. "Ah, no worries there. She's used to it."

"This happens often then?"

"Maybe."

"Oh, I see," Blake said. "You're an insufferable showoff."

"Hey, how'd you know my old nickname from Beacon?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Don't we have some Grimm to kill?"

"Probably not. That was- and this here's an official Hunting term- a fuckton of those bastards. Can't actually believe there was a horde here, so many days after the town went down. Weird."

"That wasn't usual?"

"Not this long after the town's been cold. Hordes are typically only with large packs. They're normally constantly on the move. Anyway, doubt there's any more in the area. That horde probably drew in the lot of 'em."

"So what now?"

"Still gotta make sure. We'll just walk the perimeter, keep our eyes out. But I'd say we're probably done here." She gave the dark haired woman a beaming smile. "Oh, and you're awesome, by the way. Welcome to the team!"

"… thanks." She was blushing. It was adorable.

Blake and Yang walked along the edge of the valley. Yang had been right; not a single trace of any remaining Grimm. Just two huntresses and their thoughts.

At least, that's what Blake would have preferred. Or rather, she supposed, that _was_ an apt description, only that one of the huntresses decided to voice her thoughts aloud.

"So another time," the blonde brawler said, gesticulating wildly. "We- Ruby and I- we were hunting down this lone Goliath, strayed too close to a few towns or somethin'. We'd been tracking the damn beast for _days_. You wouldn't think a two, two and a half, story tall monster would be hard to find, but you'd be wrong! Anyway, Ruby-"

She'd been going on like this for a while, regaling Blake with tales of her past hunts. At first she'd been annoyed, preferring peace and quiet to pointless blather. But the other woman's unbridled enthusiasm, and the fact that the stories _were_ rather interesting, managed to rope the faunus in. She found herself reminded of the adventure novels she read.

 _This._ She thought. _This is what it means to be a huntress. To be free. Free to go wherever you please, do whatever you want. And to care! To be able to find happiness, and meaning, in what you do. To not have to equivocate to one's self about motives and collateral. To not worry whether the ends justify the means, but to simply live in the moment and act on what you_ know _is right._

"So," Yang said, snapping Blake away from further thoughts. "Blake. Not to sound like this is some doomed first date that started in a CCT chatroom, but what are you looking to get out of this? A few quick bucks while pastures are green and all our blood is on the inside, or… more?"

Blake raised a brow at the huntress. "I'm… not sure. I guess it depends on what _more_ is. For now, I'll do what I do. Fight."

"Sure," Yang said. "But you have to have _some_ ideas about what you want. How about the bigger picture? Plenty of ways out there to make money, why hunt?"

"Because… it's what I know how to do? I've never really thought about it."

"Come on! Work with me here, Blakey! This ain't the easiest job, and you're smart enough to realize that, even _if_ all you've ever done is fight, you could always do somethin' else."

The corner of Blake's lips quirked upward. "Could I? I didn't… I didn't live the life of someone who could go to a combat school. Or any type of school. I spent my life fighting for it. There's nothing else I know how to do."

"Sheesh. You make it sound like you were a child soldier or something."

"Outside the kingdoms," Blake said. "Everyone is." The statement smothered the conversation, leaving a stale silence in its wake.

"Well," Yang said after a while. "Alright, you fight because you do. Fair enough. Still though, you can't tell me you've never thought about what you want to fight _for_." Blake started to speak before Yang continued. "And don't tell me you've only ever fought for survival and money, 'cause you're too good at it for you to have not thought that you could fight for more than yourself."

More than herself. Blake remembered all too well when she'd fought with a purpose like that. Did Yang… did she know? Did she suspect the faunus? She realized that somewhere in the back of her subconscious she was formulating a strategy to take down the blonde, if it was necessary. From what she'd seen, using her ribbon as a garrote would probably be her best shot.

"Why do you care?" She asked.

"Am I not allowed to?"

"You barely know me."

"Well duh, I'm trying to change that."

Blake sighed. "You sure this isn't a bad first date?"

Yang snorted. "It can be whatever you want it to be, babe." She said in an over the top husky voice. Blake felt her cheeks warm.

 _Fuck,_ She thought. _I'm blushing, aren't I?_

Yang giggled. It was such a pure, blissful noise that just made Blake's blush deepen.

 _Damnit. The hell's wrong with me?_

"Anyway," Yang said. "You really don't have any sort of… goal? Anything?"

"I guess," Blake said, slow and deliberate. "I'd like to… make a difference. Be a force of positive change." She grimaced slightly when she realized how little her motives had changed, given where they'd taken her in the past.

Yang beamed. "You wanna help people!"

"… something like that, I suppose."

"Great! Well I hope we all learned something here today!"

"That you're a maniac who uses herself as an IED? Or that you're a part-time therapist?"

Yang laughed a deep, hearty laugh. "Yeah, guess that just about covers it! Oh, and that you're _so_ on the team, no question."

"Ruby doesn't get a say?" _Don't get your hopes up, still plenty of ways for this to go wrong._

 _Hell,_ the more cynical part of her thought. _Still no way for this to go completely right. This is temporary. Everything is._

"Eh, don't worry about it," Yang said. "You can _more_ than handle yourself. Don't know what other problem she'd have with you."

Blake kept her dark laughs on that matter to herself. _Glad you're all so accepting of terrorists and murderers._

"And besides," Yang continued. "Even if she did, I'd fight her on it."

"Why-"

"I'm an excellent judge of character. I… I'm glad I- we- found you, Blake. Not a whole lot of solo, good natured, talented fighters out there, ya know?"

It was only due to a lifetime of lies and deceit that Blake managed to keep a straight face. Because _that_ was the funniest dust-damned shit she'd heard in a long time. "Sure, Yang." Still, this might be… nice, while it lasted. "I'm glad you found me, too."

Weiss stood alone in the center of the village. Summoned Nevermore confirmed that no Grimm remained in the village or surrounding areas. Clouds had come in, turning the sky a dull grey.

With the mission done, all her previous anger left her, leaving only bitter disappointment in its wake.

She'd failed, on multiple fronts. She hadn't been able to hold her own. And, upon further evaluation of the events, she knew she was at fault. She should have been more observant, should have recognized that the Beowolf was an Alpha. Had she not made such a basic mistake, she could have formed a more appropriate plan.

What's more is that she'd then failed to recover from the failure. Instead of putting it behind her she'd wallowed in it, leading to a loss of control over both her emotions and semblance, as if she were a child again. The exhaustion from having drained her aura was a bitter reminder of that.

She didn't know what Ruby would say to her, but she couldn't imagine the brunette would be pleased. She obviously knew Weiss had failed with the Alpha, and while there was no way she could be familiar with the Schnee semblance and its interactions with emotions, she must have noticed the dramatic shift in the Heiress's fighting style.

So when a sharp scream of "WEISS!" reached her at the same time as the red-cloaked huntress, she was more than a little surprised by the smile that accompanied it.

Ruby stopped a few feet away from Weiss, grinning from ear to ear. "Weiss!" She said again. "That was amazing!"

"What are you talking about?" Was Ruby taunting her? Weiss didn't think the younger woman had it in her, but first impressions could be deceiving.

"Well, I mean, you were all like- haaa!- wahh!- woosh-plekew!" She said while making stabbing motions with her hand, finishing with one hand in the air and the other in an arc with waggling fingers. Weiss absentmindedly noted that she'd stabbed with her left hand.

"Stop."

"Sorry, sometimes I get a bit excited." Ruby said. She sounded… sincere. "But really, I uh, I am _seriously_ impressed. So, you know… Team RWBY?"

"What?"

"Fine, I guess we can talk about who'll be the leader later, if you want."

"That's not-" Weiss took a moment to breathe and clear her head. Thankfully, Ruby respected the silence. "I failed. I made several mistakes that were easily avoidable had I performed better. What about that indicates that I was 'amazing'?"

"Huh?" Ruby said. "Weiss, you cleared a whole overrun village of Grimm by yourself! I'd say that's pretty-"

"Not," the Heiress said. "By myself."

"I shot _one_ Beowolf. I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"Exactly! Were it not for you, I'd have been injured."

"Well, yeah, but not like, seriously. Not like you _couldn't_ have done it on your own. Weiss, really, I don't see the problem here."

Ruby was being absolutely serious. She really thought that Weiss's performance was acceptable. That was… completely predictable.

 _Of course she does._ Weiss realized. _Most people don't hold 'perfect' as a standard, but as an ideal. She's wrong of course, and I could have done better. But she doesn't care about that. Why would she?_

She'd been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to consider how another person would look at the events. _Just another mistake to add onto the pile._

"Oh," Weiss said. "Alright then. So, teammates, I suppose?"

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered and fist pumped the air. Weiss rolled her eyes.

 _This is the girl that blew off a Beowolf's head in midair from at least two klicks away._ She realized with a start. _Who_ are _you, Ruby Rose?_


	5. Meetings

"Yes, I do think this will be good for you, don't you agree?"

"That remains to be seen."

"Weiss," Winter said. "I understand why you may be upset-"

"I am not."

A small smile showed through the CCT monitor. "Of course not. All I'm saying is, it would be perfectly understandable if you _were_. But I'm glad you appear to be in such high spirits."

Weiss sighed. "Why do I even try with you?"

"I've been wondering that myself for years."

"It's just… this _is_ off record, right?"

Winter chuckled. "Yes, sister."

"It's damn frustrating! The both of them treat me as if I'm merely some asset, useful only for petty reasons, nothing to do at all with my own merits. I expect as much from father, but not the General."

"And is that what you seek value in? How they view you?"

"It's not that. Well… maybe partly. Some recognition from the General wouldn't be remiss, but Father can choke on his own Dust for all I care."

"General Ironwood respects you a great deal, Weiss. Of that I can assure you. But I thought you cared for Father?"

"Hah! I respect the man, in the most detached sense of the word. I can respect his abilities as a businessman, if not as a father. But care for him? I'd have to be incapable of recognizing his extortions, his manipulations. He's done too much, for far too long, for anything of the sort."

"Then why," Winter said, with a pause to sip her wine. "In the name of Dust, are you still working for him?"

"Our 'agreement'. I can only live whatever life I desire so long as I remain in a position such that he can easily monitor me."

"You are an Atlesian Specialist, well on your way to even more success, and you're twenty five years old. You're the only one giving him this power over you."

Weiss's eyes went wide. "Oh! I'd never realized that! Let me put you on hold, I need to go call Father and tell him to go get better acquainted with the digestive tract of a Nevermore." Her expression shifted into a harsh glare. "Please, Winter. Don't act as if I could follow you. You left the SDC to _me_. And I'll be _damned_ if I let Whitely get his hands on it."

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on our brother?"

"When was the last time you were home? He's no more than a younger version of Father. I'm only surprised he hasn't tried some plot to undermine me and give Father an excuse to disinherit me. I can only assume he believes I'll disgrace myself in my own time."

"You're paranoid."

"Winter… please."

"Fine," she took another sip of her wine. "You don't care for Father's attention. Then why _do_ you care how he views you?"

"When did this become a profiling session?"

"When you'd finished three glasses before I one. Now talk."

Weiss glared at her sister. "Because I happen to value my time and skills, and they are being criminally underused."

"Careful, sister. Pride goeth before the fall."

"Then it's a fortunate thing this isn't my pride speaking. I am bored, Winter. Negotiations are droll, and the so-called missions Ironwood sends me on could be accomplished by mindless Knights."

"I won't dispute the first, but you're exaggerating the second. I've read the reports, and your missions have been routinely useful, productive, and successful."

"Routine being the operative word. If you've read the reports, tell me Winter, how many times have I been sent on a mission on which total success was not very nearly assured?"

"What is your point? That sounds like well planned and executed missions, to me."

"My point is as I've said. My talents are being wasted, and I don't know why. Not once have I felt as if I'd been _needed_ for an operation. Meanwhile, I've been reading reports of my own. Expanding Grimm territory, increased White Fang activity, and not enough personnel to effectively deal with the threat. At times I feel like I was made a Specialist due to some damn political quid-pro-quo with Father."

"I've never considered you the type for a hero complex, sister. True, you are not being sent on high priority missions, ones that very well could use you. I won't deny that. In fact, it's been by my own hand that your name has been omitted from some of those operations."

"Winter! You cannot treat me like a child!"

"Yet you can act like one?" Weiss looked away from the screen and a silence stretched between the two sisters. "I apologize. that was uncalled for. You voice a valid complaint, but you mistake my motives. When have I ever coddled you, Weiss?"

Weiss was still somewhat shocked by her sister's uncharacteristic outburst. "Fine then, why?"

"You've nearly said as much yourself. You have great potential, Weiss. Enough that both I and General Ironwood have taken interest in you, regardless of family. But potential does not show up on records. Imagine, if you will, what would happen if the General placed you on those high profile missions. You've been a Specialist for but four years. And while attaining that at the age you did is commendable, it does not advance you any further than you are due. I was a specialist for five years before the General took me into his retinue. If you were to be shown similar favor, it would only invoke suspicions of nepotism, either from him or myself."

Weiss sat quiet for a while, absorbing the information. She understood her sister's logic, but that did little to actually appease her. It almost sounded as if she was being held back due to Winter's preexisting success. She voiced her concerns to the Lieutenant General.

"I suppose you're not wrong, in a way," Winter said. She sighed. "There is an awful lot of politicking amongst high ranking officers. You wouldn't believe the rumors that go around about myself and James - er- the General. But the more simple solution is that you simply haven't proven yourself yet."

"And how am I supposed to do that if I can't be assigned to meaningful missions?"

Winter grinned, something Weiss wasn't actually sure she'd seen before. "How indeed?"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"If only there were some way for you to prove your worth as a specialist, but in a context separate from the Atlesian Military."

"What on Remnant are you- oh. Oh!" Weiss was confused. It was obvious what her sister was implying, but how could it have happened exactly as it did? "OH! This was _your_ idea, wasn't it? This leave."

"Well, I must give the credit of the timing to Father. I'd heard he was planning on convincing you to take a break from your duties at the SDC, and decided you could use a similar leave from Atlas."

"Why didn't you just tell me all this?"

"It's good to keep one's mind active."

Weiss groaned. "You're still all Schnee. Damn mindgames. And you have the nerve to call me paranoid."

"So tell me," Winter said. "How goes your leave? I do assume you've been productive, even without my guidance."

"You assume correctly. I've joined, well I suppose- a team. For the time being."

"A team? As in a full hunting team?"

"Yes. Two Beacon graduates and one of unknown background, but acceptable skill, if all were honest in the debriefing."

"Debriefing? So you've already been on a mission?"

Weiss swallowed, memories of her breakdown closing her throat. The further she got from the mission itself, the more confused and frustrated she became with how she'd performed. One mistake was all it had taken for her to spiral out of control. And she wondered why she'd yet to be tested by Atlas…

"Of sorts," she said. "A simple one where the Beacon graduates, sisters, by the way, assessed mine and the other's capabilities."

Winter gave a soft chuckle. "For some reason I can't imagine you were too pleased by that. Having the implicit doubt of your abilities."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm no child, I can understand the pragmatism of it. What I do take issue with is the youngest and least experienced amongst us proclaiming herself the leader."

"One of the sisters, I presume?"

"Yes. Horribly energetic too. And almost abhorrently optimistic. Still, she displays remarkable skill, that Ruby Rose."

Winter blinked. "Rose?"

"Yes, why?"

"A Rose that graduated from Beacon, and has an older sister who did the same?"

"Yes. Winter, what-"

"Hahahahaha!" Winter laughed. Weiss tried to interject, but- "Hahahahahahahahaha!"

It took Winter a whole five minutes to settle down, and even then, she refused to tell Weiss what had sparked the meltdown in the first place.

What could have possibly had such an effect on her almost disturbingly stoic sister?

* * *

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby jumped onto her uncle as he walked through the entrance to the Xiao Long household.

"Ergh!" He grunted, but still managed to support both his own and his niece's weight. "Think you might be getting a bit big for this, kiddo."

Ruby released him and fell to her feet. "Are you calling me fat?" She pouted.

Qrow blanched. "N-no! I just meant that, uh, that I'm too… Tai, please?"

Taiyang Xiao Long burst into laughter from behind his daughter. "No way, you're on your own!"

Then Qrow noticed the grin on Ruby's face. "You're awful, both of you. You know that?"

Ruby and her dad devolved into more laughter. "You shoulda seen the look on your face! Priceless!"

"Fuck you!"

"Language, Qrow!" Tai said.

"Fuck you!" Qrow and Ruby said. The two shared a look before Qrow finally cracked a smile.

Tai rolled his eyes and walked up to his old teammate. "Glad you could make it." He clapped the graying man on the back.

"'Course. Wouldn't miss your steaks for the world."

"Huh, that's a weird way to say 'whisky'." Tai said.

"Hey! I'll also take gin."

"Yeah, yeah. You get that, Yang?" Tai called into the kitchen.

"What?" Yang called back. "Why am I your Grimmdamned bartender?"

"Because, you know, what else did I have kids for?"

"Ass."

"I'll take a Mantle Mule!" Ruby called to her sister.

"You all suck!"

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

"So," Tai said, cutting into his steak. "You girls have got yourselves a team now, right?"

"Yep!" Ruby said. "We took 'em out on a pretty simple mission just to see what they got. They were _awesome_! Or at least, Weiss was. Didn't get a chance to see Blake."

"She kicked ass." Yang added.

"Hmm," Qrow said. "Weiss? That wouldn't be Weiss Schnee, would it?"

"Sure is," Yang said. "Not that Rubes here had any clue, but it was her. Even got all pissy and bought an airship to prove it."

"She kinda did, didn't she?" Ruby said. "Anyway, yeah, she was pretty great. She did this crazy thing where she just made Grimm appear! And good ones too! It's like she has an army or something!"

"Her too, huh?" Qrow mumbled under his breath.

"Whaddya mean?" Yang asked.

"Nothin', kiddo," Qrow said. He turned to Ruby. "You keep an eye on her, alright?"

"You know her?" Ruby asked.

"No, but I know… people like her. Not bad, but not exactly the heroes you and your sister try to be."

"Try?" Yang said. "We totally _are_ heroes. Right Rubes?"

"Yep!" Ruby gave Yang a thumbs-up.

"Ehh," Qrow said. "You've done alright, but I dunno about 'heroes' yet."

"Meanie!" Ruby said.

There was a loud crash from Yang. "Sonuvabitch!"

The table looked over at her to find her knife had slipped, cutting into her thumb. Qrow shot up from his seat,and started toward Yang before Tai gave him a look.

"Sit down, Qrow," He said. "Yang, you okay?"

Yang was clutching her hand. As she obviously didn't have her aura protecting her,the knife looked to have gone pretty deep.

"Fuck," Yang muttered. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just caught me off guard." A pale yellow glow enveloped the wound as her aura started the healing process.

"Great heroes, huh sis?" Ruby said.

Yang pouted. "That cuts deep, you know."

Ruby and Tai let out a shared groan.

"Qrow, man, sit down," Tai said. He was laughing, but his eyes were narrowed.

"Seriously old man, I'm fine." Yang said.

"No, I should go. Leavin' early on a mission tomorrow," Qrow said. "And I'm still not old!"

"You are?" Ruby said.

"Yes Ruby," Yang said. "He really is old."

"Quiet, you, " Qrow said. "Yeah, might be gone for a while too."

"Well… what's the mission?" Ruby asked.

"Top secret."

"You always say that."

Qrow smirked. "'Cause it always is. Thanks, Tai, for having me."

Tai nodded. "Whatever you're doing out there, be safe, yeah?"

"Always."

* * *

"Okay team!" Ruby said. "Let the first how-to-make-money-and-kill-grimm meeting… begin!"

Blake looked around at the others at the table, all of whom (save Ruby herself) seemed about as enthused as Blake felt. While all had agreed they needed to meet and more formally lay out a plan going forward, only Ruby appeared to be particularly excited about it. Still, here they all were; gathered around a chipped and cracked, yet still solid, table in the sisters' apartment.

"Isn't that what everything we do kinda boils down to?" Yang asked, shifting to sit backwards on her chair.

"Yes, you really might as well just call this a 'team meeting' or such. That description is less than helpful." Weiss said.

"Whatever, that's not the point!" Ruby said with a pout. "The point is that we've got stuff to do."

"Like?" Blake asked.

"Pay, for one. Only Yang and I were officially on the contract, so we each got half. Weiss, just need you to give me your ID number and I'll be able to get yours to you."

"Obviously." Weiss said.

"And for you," Ruby turned to look at Blake. "Still working on getting all your papers and stuff, so will cash do for now?"

"Oh," Blake said. She had forgotten about Yang's promise to make her a real Huntress. It still just seemed all too… easy. "Yeah, no problem."

"Great!" Yang said. She handed a wad of lien over to Blake. "Buy yourself somethin' nice." She winked.

Blake rolled her eyes. It was a decent sum, but nothing terribly-

 _Wait, what?_ She thought. There was more than double what she had been expecting. _Twenty-five hundred lien… that can't be right._

"Uh, Yang," She leaned over and whispered. "Did we get a bonus or something?"

Yang grinned. "Nah, explain later."

 _The hell is that about?_

"Anyway," Ruby said. "On to the meeting!"

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

The meeting, as it turned out, consisted mostly of Weiss and Ruby… constructively and passionately discussing some major aspects of the team, with Blake weighing in with her opinion only when it concerned her, and Yang with a flirtatious comment or inappropriate joke at regular intervals.

They ended up deciding on missions focused on Grimm control around forests. None of them (as far as the other three knew) had much experience or desire in regards to fighting people, and the forests would play well to Blake's strength in hit-and-run while Ruby and Weiss could make use of the open space in the clearings. Yang didn't particularly care, so long as she could "turn the Grimm's insides to outsides, and outsides to paste".

The sisters held no misgivings on either Weiss or Blake's abilities, but all agreed they needed to become more comfortable with each other in combat before truly testing themselves, so it was decided they'd be taking mid-rated missions; those typically handled by a team or two.

"Now," Weiss said. "All that's left is to determine who shall be our leader."

Ruby groaned.

"What?!" Weiss said. "Do you think this beneath you? That you should just automatically-"

"No, no," Ruby said. "We need to talk about this. Just don't wanna."

"Childish…" Weiss muttered, but Blake was fairly certain she was the only one who'd heard it. "Well. How do we want to do this?"

"We could fight for it!" Yang said.

Ruby facepalmed.

"No, you brute." Weiss said.

"Just throwing it out there," Yang said. "For real though, it's gotta be one of you two, right?" She said, looking at Ruby and Weiss. "I mean, it's not gonna be me, and Blake…"

Blake shook her head. "No, you're right. It should be someone who knows what they're doing, and I'm still kinda new to the whole Hunting thing."

"That narrows it down, at least," Ruby said. "So whaddya think, Weissy?"

"Excuse me?" Weiss said.

"Um, who do you think it- uh, the leader, that is- should be, Weiss?"

"Are you really asking?" Weiss said while shaking her head. "We both think it should be ourselves, no?"

"Not really," Ruby said. "If you're really a better leader than me, I don't care. I just want the best Huntress for the job. It's the same for you, yeah?"

"I-well… I suppose," Weiss said. "But that doesn't change my answer. I should be leader."

There was a pause except for Ruby humming to herself. Eventually Yang coughed, snapping her sister back to the meeting.

"Okay." Ruby chirped.

"Wait, what?!" Weiss and Yang both said.

"Just like that?" Weiss said

"You're just gonna let her?!" Yang said.

Ruby smirked and looked to Blake. "You wanna add anything?"

"I think I'll just leave this one to you." Blake said. The brunette truly befuddled the faunus.

Ruby nodded. "Fair enough. Right, so yeah. I was leader on the last mission, so it's only fair that Weiss gets a shot, right?"

"So this is… temporary?" Weiss said.

"I just figured it'd be the best way to find out who it should be. If anyone else's got a better idea…?"

There was silence from the other three.

"Great! Weiss, you're leader for our next mission then. Don't let us down!"

"Another test, then…" Weiss muttered, again below human hearing. "Of course. Very well, I shall contact you all with the details of our next Hunt."

"Aye aye, cap'n!" Ruby saluted.

Weiss narrowed her eyes before turning on her heel and storming out the door.

"So," Blake said once the door had slammed shut. "Why'd we get so much more than expected?"

"Hmm?" Yang said. "Oh, the money. We uh, we didn't."

Blake raised a brow at the sisters.

"Well, Yang and I are pretty well off. I mean, not insanely like Weiss or anything, but we figured a lot better than you. With money! Er, with how much…" And suddenly the confident Huntress was gone, replaced with the awkward young woman once again.

"You're just… giving this to me?" Blake said, piecing together what Ruby was trying to say. "Your own earnings? Why?"

Yang put a hand on her shoulder. "Like she said, you need it more than we do."

Blake shoved the hand away. "I don't want… I don't need this!" She dug into her pockets for the lien. The last thing she wanted was for her new team to be treating her like some sort of… stray.

"Blake," Ruby said. "We're sorry. We just thought… it could help."

Blake put the extra money down on the table and turned to leave. "I don't want your charity."

"Wait," Yang said. "Are we wrong?"

Blake turned around. "What?"

"You _do_ need it, don't you?"

"I'll manage. On my own."

"But why?" Ruby said. "You don't need to."

"I… just will," Blake said. "Thank you for trying, but I can't."

Yang sighed and picked up the money. "Do you even have a home?" Her voice was small, like she really cared.

Blake looked away.

"Blake…" Ruby said.

"I've been fine so far…"

She jumped as something started constricting her out of nowhere. Looking down, she saw Ruby's head buried in her neck; the brunette's arms were wrapped around her. This was admittedly rather new and unexpected to her.

Which Yang seemed to understand, and managed to pry her sister off.

Yang coughed. "You know, as a member of our team, you're a pretty important asset."

"Er, thanks?"

"So… it would be in our best interest to know that you're in good health and stuff, right?"

"Stop. I've already told you I'm fine."

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Who are you trying to convince?"

Blake started to respond before Yang cut her off.

"Like I said, you're important to us, as a member of the team and all. What if you- out there on the streets- can't get shelter from the rain and catch a cold? Where does that leave us, huh? Out of work, that's where. So stop being so damn stubborn."

Blake remained unimpressed. "That has yet to happen anytime in the past few years I've been out there, so I doubt it."

And then Ruby was attached to her again.

Blake grunted and pushed her off. Or at least attempted to; that girl had strength. Instead, she only managed to push her to arms length away.

"Ruby," Blake sighed. "I'll be fine. I mean it."

Ruby pouted. "Why do you have to be just 'fine'? Just stay here!"

"Excuse me?" Blake said once she'd processed the statement.

"We've only got two beds," Yang said. "So you'll have to share with me."

… _what?_

"She's being an ass," Ruby said. "We really do only have two rooms though, so you'd just be on the couch. Um, unless you want to share with Yang or something…"

The sisters looked at her expectantly. Ruby in particular with a puppy dog face that was _far_ too good for a twenty-something. Still…

"I can't," Blake said. "You've already given me a job, I'm not going to inconvenience you further."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Grimmshit on all accounts, Belladonna. You working with us isn't an inconvenience, it's a goddamn blessing. You think the two of us could deal with Schnee without you?" She smiled before continuing. "But really, all we're offering you is a roof and a couch. And a shitty couch at that. Just don't be a pig or hog the bathroom and it'll be like nothing at all."

 _Maybe… maybe I could._ Blake thought. _They're completely insane for being so trusting, but it doesn't seem they'll take no for an answer. And honestly, they'd probably be more upset at me turning them down than putting them out, right? It'd just look suspicious if I refuse at this point..._

"I…" Blake bowed her head. "Thank you."

This time it was more of a tackle than a hug.

* * *

After Blake had reminded Ruby of the concept of personal space she excused herself, saying she needed some air.

"I don't know Yang," Ruby said. "I still feel like we're tricking her."

"We're not, Rubes," Yang said. "I really do want to give her a place to live. Sure, it'll also be nice to be able to keep a closer eye on her, but it's not like we've bugged the place or anything."

"Um, should we?"

"'Course not. What's she gonna do, steal our fine paper china? She's a good person, just…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I watched her bow like you said, and you're right. She probably has a good reason for not telling us though, right?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah. Honestly, getting her off the streets _was_ my priority, trust me."

"Sure, Yang. I just hope everything works out."

"I bet you do," Yang snickered. "I saw the way you looked at the princess."

"Oh, shut up."

"No, I'm just glad my little sister is finally growing up."

Ruby smirked. "Mhm. Grown up enough to tell when your flirting isn't just for show. That was a cute blush you had when you offered Blake your bed."

Yang gave her sister an approving look. "Truce?"

"Truce."

* * *

 **A/N: So... not much to say other than that that was an embarrassingly long hiatus. I suck at editing stuff. Uh... yep, that's about it. Be on the look out for more much sooner though. Probably. Hopefully.** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	6. New Leadership

"So what're you gonna name this thing?" Ruby asked.

"Excuse you?" Weiss said.

"The airship. If we're gonna keep using it I think you should name it."

"No, I don't think I should."

"Aww, why not?"

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine, not naming the ship," Ruby said. "But what about the team? If you end up leading it, I mean."

"What about the team?"

"The name! I've been trying, but I can't think of a good one that starts with 'W'."

Weiss glared at her teammate. "Do you have a fetish for naming things?"

Ruby felt her cheeks heat and looked away from the Heiress. "Why'd ya have to phrase it like that? It's fun and catchy, you know, for marketing or whatever. 'You want to hire Team…!' uh, still nothing."

"Helpful," Weiss said. "But no, I have not given that any thought."

"Well you should."

Weiss rolled her eyes again. She did that a lot.

"Anyway," Ruby said. "This is kinda the first time we've really had to talk, like, alone."

"I suppose it is."

"So… whaddya wanna talk about?"

Weiss sighed. "Did you want to go over the mission details again?"

"Er, no, not exactly."

"Battle strategies? Business plans?"

"How about just… you? I mean, I know you're famous and all, but it's not like I know a whole lot about you, except what's on the CCT. I wanna know _you_. And obviously I guess you don't know much about me either, so-"

"Born on Patch twenty-three years ago to Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, two veteran Hunters and graduates of Beacon Academy. Rose led Xiao Long on Team STRQ, along with Raven and Qrow Branwen. Your mother was declared MIA twenty years ago, presumed dead. You graduated both Signal and Beacon with high marks in Grimm combat and average otherwise. You've spent the last two years hunting with your half-sister, Yang Xiao Long. Did I miss anything?"

 _And I thought I was bad with people._ Ruby thought.

"Just all the important stuff." She muttered.

"Oh?" Weiss said. "And what's the 'important stuff'?"

Ruby was starting to see why Yang said Weiss pissed her off.

"My favorite color, maybe? But you could probably guess that… about as obvious as yours. But what about my favorite food?"

"And how is that important?"

Ruby frowned. "You've… never really had friends, have you?" _That… could have sounded less harsh._

"Did I say we were?"

"Well, not yet, but, it'd be nice if we were, wouldn't it?"

"Would it help us complete missions?"

"Sure!" Ruby said, though she thought Weiss was somewhat missing the point. "Team cohesion and stuff!"

"Is that what you think?" Weiss said. "I'd hope we're all professional enough to trust and respect each other _without_ … whatever it is you're suggesting."

"It'd also help with, er, morale, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, well I'm totally not saying that you seem really unhappy and having friends would help with that. Or that the same is at all the case for me. But if it were…"

"I don't need friends, Rose."

"Have you tried?"

Weiss didn't respond.

 _Good going, Ruby. Why is this so damn HARD?_

She went back to trying to figure out team names that started with 'W'.

 _WYBR. Wiber? I don't think that's a thing. WYRB? Weerb. Wirb. Nope._

"Blue." Weiss said, startling Ruby out of her thoughts. "Not white. M-my favorite color is blue, not white, like most people probably assume."

Ruby blinked. "Oh."

Weiss strode into the cockpit.

 _And… I'm still bad at this._

Weiss stormed back to the cabin, head down.

"It was, uh, full…" She said.

"Right." Ruby said.

Weiss wasn't looking at Ruby, instead focused on polishing her rapier.

"Mine's red!" Ruby blurted. "Like I said, you could probably guess, but some people think it's black, and I do like black, but, not my favorite…" She trailed off as she realized she was rambling. As usual.

Weiss didn't look up, but she did shake her head. Ruby wasn't sure, but she thought she saw the hint of a smile on the Atlesian's face.

* * *

The sun was setting as they finished making base camp. Weiss had chosen a location on the edge of the treeline, just a couple klicks outside their objective. She'd sent Belladonna to scout the forest. As this Hunt was much further away than the last, it had taken them most of the day just to arrive. They'd have to sleep here and attack in the morning.

She wasn't sure about relying on Blake's judgement, but the rather mysterious woman had been the best choice; they weren't far from where she said she'd been raised, halfway between Vale and Vacuo.

The sisters were resting on a stray log, leaning on each other for support against the exhaustion of a long day. Weiss was fighting down an insolent pang when Blake returned.

"Nothing around but the Deathstalkers," She said to Weiss. "And they were keeping close to their den." Weiss nodded.

"Attention, team!" She said "Mission briefing will begin in three mikes."

Ruby whispered something to her sister, and her sister responded in kind. Whatever was exchanged, Ruby looked somewhat embarrassed. Weiss found it endearingly cute in spite of herself.

She still didn't know what had prompted her to tell Ruby her favorite color earlier. It seemed to her a terribly childish thing to even concern herself with, yet concern herself with it she did. And to make matters worse, she'd done so blubbering like a fool. She, who could stare down leaders of the biggest corporations on Remnant, stammering to get out her _favorite color_. Even more frustrating was that she'd felt… happy, or maybe relieved, when the brunette had reciprocated. Not to mention the still unknown reason for which Winter had reacted as she had to Ruby's name.

Everything about the young Huntress was an enigma to Weiss. She'd act the cheery fool with naive eyes, but at times that look faded to one tinged with experience and capability. Was it all an act? And if so, for what purpose? For now, she'd decided to do what she'd always done, and ignore the distraction to focus on the task at hand.

 _Or at least try._ She thought, upon realizing that she was _still_ thinking about her.

She set about getting her maps and plans in order while the others went about their business. Two klicks west of their location was a den of three to five adult Deathstalkers, according to intel. It was mid spring, so they were likely to behave less aggressively, and only leave the den with extreme goading.

Which was why Weiss had decided to send herself and Xiao Long in to flush them out. Between the blonde's concussive blasts and her Dust, the Grimm should flee their den to pursue the two of them. They wouldn't go far though, prioritizing the defense of their den over a prolonged chase.

Thankfully, the den wasn't deep into the forest. She and Xiao Long would lead them to the treeline where the other two would be waiting, along with a few special surprises. Once the arachnids were defeated, they'd collapse the den to prevent it being reclaimed by another group. A simple plan, perhaps, but this was a simple mission.

"All present, leader!" A perky voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

Weiss was somewhat surprised that the sisters had managed to stay quiet during the briefing, but the look on Ruby's face seemed to indicate an objection of some sort.

"Anything to add?" Weiss asked the group.

"Er, yeah," Ruby said. "Wouldn't it be better for me to go with Yang?"

"How so?"

"Well, it just seems like that's the most dangerous part of the plan, so we probably want the two Huntresses who work best together, right?"

Weiss sighed. "It's not as if _any_ part of this mission will be overly dangerous. She and I are simply the best team for causing large amounts of damage. Or do you disagree on that point?"

Ruby frowned. "No, but-"

"Then this matter is concluded. We need to be certain that the Grimm will pursue, understood?"

"Hey, she's got a point you know," Yang said. "Something goes south, Rubes and I are the best bet. If she had to, she could get us outta there faster than my Uncle from an AA meeting." Weiss didn't miss Ruby's head shaking from behind her hand.

"Blake?" Weiss said. "Any thoughts from you?"

"Not many," Blake walked over to the map. "Just one. You have Ruby positioned at the treeline, here, right?" She put a finger on the red marker that represented Ruby. Weiss nodded. "Well, you could move her to here," She slid the marker to halfway between the treeline and the den. "She should be fast enough that the distance won't put her too far away from the rendezvous, and she'd be able to keep an eye on you two, just in case."

"Is she right?" Weiss asked Ruby. "How long would it take you to get to the clearing from there?"

"Not long," She shrugged. "A few seconds maybe, especially if I'm at the treetops."

"Very well," Weiss said. "You'll act as backup from that position, but it's imperative that you be at the rendezvous point and ready when the Deathstalkers arrive."

"They won't know what hit 'em!" Ruby said. "Mostly because they'll be dead. So they won't know…"

"If that's everything?" Weiss said, mostly to cut off Ruby's inanity. "Good, then we have a plan. Now let's do what we can to prepare. Personally, I'd recommend we all have some relaxing decaffeinated Mistrali tea before a good night's sleep."

The sisters looked at her as if she'd abandoned the human race and grown an extra pair of ears.

* * *

Ruby and Yang, as it turned out, had another plan. Quite contrary to what Schnee had proposed; the sisters had begun wrestling immediately following their dismissal. The Heiress, of course, was outraged. Everyone else, of course, ignored her.

Blake had decided it was a good enough show to watch, and was enjoying the rather impressive display being put on. Yang, as far as the faunus could tell, held a commanding lead. It wasn't terribly surprising, given the brawler's much larger build compared to her lithe sister, but Ruby did manage some impressive reversals before the inevitable pin.

Yang laughed and rolled off her defeated opponent, and Blake found herself fighting to keep her smile more sly than stupid. Apparently, she'd failed as Yang caught her and grinned.

 _Oh boy._ Blake thought.

"Whatcha thinking 'bout, Blakey?" Yang sat down beside Blake.

"That display just to piss off Schnee, or was that normal?"

Yang laughed. "Nah, but that _was_ a nice benefit. It just helps to get nerves out before a Hunt, ya know? Gettin' out any extra energy."

Blake looked at Ruby, who was still lying on the ground and had taken out her scroll. "I get the feeling you win often."

"Nah, sometimes she gets crafty and cheats."

"You never lay down any rules, so it can't be cheating!" Ruby chimed in.

"You know, some rules are just kinda implied. Like no biting!" Yang shot back.

"That was only once…" Ruby said, though subdued.

Blake just smiled at the sisters' bickering. Having been living with them for the past few days, she'd gotten much more used to their arguments. It was funny- in a way, it reminded her of better times, when the Fang was an actual family. The amount of times she'd overhear the same stupid fights between young and hopeful revolutionaries…

But that was pointless to think about now. Now, she could only hope to preserve _this_ , as long as she could. Part of her was even starting to think this could last.

"Blake!" Yang's voice beside her snapped her back to the woods. "Hellooo?"

"Oh, sorry," Blake said. "I was just… spacing out. Long day."

"Guess we oughta be turning in, huh?"

"My thoughts exactly," Weiss said. "I'll be in the ship. Do not disturb me, except in the case of emergency."

Yang rolled her eyes. "But what if I have a weally scawy nightmare?"

Weiss turned to Ruby. "Does she ever stop?"

"Nope!" Ruby said.

Weiss sighed and retired to the ship.

"So," Yang said. "Princess gets the giant sturdy ship, and leaves the three of us with a couple of tents. Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"Well, it _is_ her ship." Ruby said.

Yang grinned. "You wanna go join her?"

Ruby scowled and walked over to one of the tents. "I'll take this one. Have fun!" She zipped the tent closed behind her.

Yang's face fell. "Wait! Ruby!" She scrambled over to the tent. "You're not serious, right?"

No response.

Blake giggled, to her own surprise. She may not have the most experience in this department, but she wasn't so blind as to not recognize it. She'd read plenty.

"Am I that bad of company?" She asked.

Yang turned around, eyes wide. "No! I just… uh, uh, I… I talk in my sleep! And you know, Rubes, she's used to it, wouldn't want to disturb you or anything." There was a loud cackle from the tent.

Blake raised a brow. "Oh, is that it? Well then, I'll just share with her." She walked over to the tent. "Ruby? Would you mind?"

The tent opened enough for Ruby's head to stick out. She looked between her sister and Blake, and nodded. Blake slipped inside the tent, leaving an incredulous Yang behind.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled. "You'll regret this! Ah! Weiss! Why's your sword- er, what are you doing with-" There was a crash and a slamming door. "Goodnight to you too, your majesty…"

Ruby and Blake exchanged a look and had to stifle their laughter.

"Seriously though," Blake said. "You'll be sharing with her, right?"

"I dunno, she's being really annoying," Ruby smiled. "But yeah. Unless you wanna stay. It'd be pretty funny."

"I think I'll pass. But Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"She- Yang- is she…"

Ruby's smile warmed. "She acts tough, like a player and all. I think it comes from our Uncle. Between you and me though, she's a big softie."

Blake felt her cheeks warm. "Thank you."

She found Yang still glaring at the airship from the small pile of firewood she seemed to have been sent into.

"Goodnight, Yang." She said as she slipped into the second tent.

She could hear soft footsteps start to approach her tent before retreating to the other. Blake found herself smiling as sleep took her.

* * *

"So, Ice Queen," Yang said. Weiss glared at her. "How many Hunts _have_ you been on?"

"Enough," Weiss said. "Why? Do you doubt my abilities?"

The two were making a somewhat leisurely pace through the forest. Yang looked up at the trees, hoping to see a hint of her sister, but the forest was too crowded to see the tops.

Yang shrugged. "Just checkin'. Plenty a rookies think they're all hot shit, but only end up as shit, once it hits the fan."

Weiss actually laughed, which was pretty weird. "Are you calling me a rookie? I've been a Specialist as long as you've been a Huntress."

"Sure, sure," Yang said. "You're real special. But I'd still bet that Rubes an' I have been on more Hunts than you. Given that, ya know, we hafta to eat and all."

"Don't forget who the leader is here, Xiao Long." She picked up her pace, leaving Yang behind.

"Aww, don't be like that!" Yang said as she caught up to the heiress. "And you're the leader, not my commanding officer. Lighten up."

"Just stay focused."

It wasn't long before they reached the Deathstalker den. They'd decide to keep their distance in case any of the Grimm rushed out before planned. Yang checked the missiles in her gauntlets and primed them to fire.

Yang looked to Weiss, who held her rapier in front of her. Weiss caught Yang's look, and nodded.

Yang punched the air, sending the first missile straight into the occupied cave. There was a second of silence, neither girl even exhaling, before an explosion sounded from within the cave. The deep rumble of the explosion was also accompanied by the high pitched screeches of Grimm.

Yang felt searing heat on the right side of her face as Weiss swung her rapier in a downward arc in front of her, a massive streak of fire coming off the blade. A couple seconds after it too had entered the cave, more shrieks.

"Yang," Weiss said, voice ice cold. "Get them out."

Yang grinned and cracked her knuckles. She moved her right foot behind her in a fighting stance. Still no movement from the mouth of the cave.

 _Clinck. Clinck. Clinck. Clinck._

Yang fired off four more missiles, the last one exiting her gauntlet just as the first detonated. At the same time, Weiss had plunged her sword into the ground. Red glyphs appeared leading into the cave.

A cacophonous explosion rocked the cave. The mouth was blown apart, sending debris into the air. Weiss's glyphs had gone off, leaving a destroyed path from the two Huntresses to the cave.

As Yang's final missile reached the cave it was met by a furious sounding Deathstalker. The explosion sent the beast back into the now jagged mouth of the cave, impaling it.

"Weiss!" Yang yelled. "I think they're coming!"

"We need to be sure they all follow!"

Yang sent her final missile straight into the writhing Deathstalker's belly.

"I'm pretty sure!" Yang took off toward the clearing. She heard the sound of another of Weiss's glyphs going off before the heiress rocketed past her.

 _Of course she leaves me in the dust._ Yang thought. _Heh, Dust._

She was at a full sprint when she heard her sister over her earpiece. "One's gaining on you, sis!" Ruby said.

Yang glanced back and saw the _very_ pissed off Grimm she'd blasted before. It was faster than the average Deathstalker, and yes, was in fact catching up to her.

 _Fucker._

Yang sent a few shots from her shotguns back at the creature, hoping to slow it down. At the very least she sped herself up with the blasts. She looked back again and it was just closer, seemingly not the least bit bothered by the bullets embedded in its face.

"Ruby!" Yang thumbed her earpiece. "A little help!"

"Shit!" Came her sister's voice. "Tree cover's too thick for a shot!"

"Fuck it!" Yang yelled.

As she came up on a large, gnarled tree, she made the decision not to avoid it, but to jump. Her feet made contact with the trunk, and she pushed off, flying back toward the Grimm. The brawler let loose a barrage of shots behind her. She heard cracks as her shots hit bark, but it was all muted. The only thing that she was really aware of was the ugly creature right in front of her.

Her jump had brought her to eye level with the Deathstalker. She could see that her previous shots had managed to knock off its left set of mandibles, among other damage. Not that it appeared to have slowed it down at all.

She brought her right hand from behind her into the creature's face in a flying cross, firing Ember Celica another time as her fist connected. Yang was splattered in black blood with the cracking of its bone-white faceplate.

The Deathstalker was sent flying back into what Yang could now see were the other four beasts. It impacted two, taking them down with it. The other two, however, continued unabated towards her.

She used the momentum from her cross to turn in midair and fired another barrage behind her. She hadn't totally reversed her direction, but it was enough that she barely skidded when she landed. One last quick look behind her confirmed that the Deathstalkers that were still chasing her weren't as fast as the last one. She pushed back into a full sprint toward the clearing, once again aided by Ember Celica and the Third Law.

Looking ahead, she saw a red blur streak down from the trees and morph into her sister.

"I'm fine!" Yang yelled. "Just get ready!"

Ruby zipped off back into the trees again. Yang kept running.

* * *

Ruby sped through the trees toward the clearing, the world an exhilarating blur. She could never describe it, but a part of her always loved using her semblance. All her surroundings being drowned out as time seemed to slow for her, having complete control of her motion and speed. Bliss.

But she was on a mission, and in no time at all she was at the treeline. Blake stood waiting on a middle branch of one of the trees, her ribbon tied around the trunk. Ruby took her position on the branch of a tree across from her, Weiss on the ground between them, away from the trees so they formed a triangle.

"Status?" Weiss asked.

"What, of my sister that you abandoned?" Ruby mumbled. "All good! She had to knock one back, but they're all chasing her."

"Good, then get ready." Weiss said.

Blake threw her pistol to Ruby, ribbon attached, but not with enough slack to tie it around the tree. Instead, Ruby opted to swing Crescent Rose around and plant it into the tree.

With that done, they soon heard the crashing and cracking of trees, quickly followed by a burst of two shotguns. Yang flew between Blake and Ruby, and began catching her breath next to Weiss.

Ruby suddenly had to brace herself as she was yanked in both directions. The first Deathstalker's tail had been clotheslined by the ribbon, just as Weiss planned. The brunette tensed her upper body to keep the ribbon taut against the force of the considerably massive scorpiod.

A screech rang out, and a black shadow flew through the air. Ruby's eyes went wide. The second Grimm had jumped over the line- definitely _not_ according to plan. They needed to adjust, to act quicker than-

Weiss was ahead of her though. "Blake!" She yelled.

Blake activated the Dust crystal Weiss had given her. Ice crawled along the ribbon, not even slowing as it froze the Deathstalker's stinger. Ruby let go of her end, glad to end the burning that was spreading through her muscles, and ripped Crescent Rose out of the tree. She extended the blade behind her into its warscythe mode as she focused her sight on the frozen, thrashing stinger.

She launched toward the appendage with a shot from Crescent Rose and activated her semblance. Once again, the world around her blurred. It was just her, her target, and her sweetheart. Another shot mid flight to get her rotating, and one more after a quarter spin, right as she was beside the stinger. With a resounding _CRACK_ , the blade passed straight through the solidified tail, shattering it.

Ruby continued on, landing sideways on the trunk of the tree Blake was on, just above her. Another flare of her semblance, and she sped toward her sister and Weiss on the ground.

It had been maybe half a second since she left her tree by the time she landed next to Yang.

"Yang!" Ruby said. "Are you okay?"

The brawler was panting. "I'm great. But I think we gotta deal with _that_." She said, pointing to the Deathstalker that had jumped into the clearing, maybe fifty feet away. The others were also now past the treeline, and not far behind it.

A dark figure soared out from behind the creature and landed on its back. Blake thrust her sword into the carapace before springboarding away, landing on the other side of Weiss.

"Hmpf," Weiss said. "Finally."

She pulled her rapier behind her head, and pointed it at her two outstretched fingers, glyphs appearing all around the ground between the girls and the treeline. They formed a giant version of the same pattern that was on the glyphs; a snowflake that contained all the Grimm.

Weiss thrusted with a step, and unleashed hell. The dust that had been laid out on the ground was ignited. The Deathstalkers were engulfed by flame, ice, lightning, and whatever else Weiss had thrown in there. The force of the blast blew Weiss's hair behind her as she remained in her fencer's stance, and Ruby found herself staring in awe at just how much power the small woman could unleash.

 _Right, Grimm, focus._ Ruby thought.

She turned her attention back to the forest. Chunks of evaporating Grimm pieces were strewn throughout the air and ground, but they had to wait for the dust ( _Damnit Yang_ ) to clear before they'd know what remained.

When it did, it was clear that the explosion had rocked the Grimm. Four of them were on the ground, down but not out. The fifth was suspended in the air, an icicle as thick as a Goliath's leg going straight through its now disappearing body.

Blake and Yang rushed forward while their opponents were stunned. Ruby, staying back with Weiss in case something went wrong, had to admit she was surprised at how well her sister worked with the secret faunus.

Blake ran past the first Deathstalker, her cleaver-like sword held in a reverse grip. She thrust it into one of the still dazed eyes, and punched forward as she ran, taking a few more out.

"Yang!" She yelled.

Yang jumped from Blake's side and delivered a haymaker into the new hole in the carapace. The entire faceplate cracked and fell off as the Grimm screeched in pain.

The next Deathstalker had recovered somewhat, making a groggy swipe at Blake with one of its claws. She seemed unfazed, however, as she slid under the attack on her knees and swung at its legs. One was cut clear through and the whole beast collapsed.

Yang, meanwhile, had headed toward the tailless Deathstalker. Between the maiming and the Dust, it was basically dead to rights. But before she could make it, the biggest Deathstalker had recovered and was going for the blonde.

Ruby took a few shots at its stinger with Crescent Rose, hoping to draw some attention. No luck, as it just curled the stinger closer to itself, neglecting Ruby of a decent shot.

Finally, her sister noticed the large creature. She turned to face it, arms up in her usual boxing stance and ready to tango. The stinger came faster than she was expecting though, fast enough that Ruby later realized that the only reason she'd been able to see it move was because she'd subconsciously activated her semblance.

But the attack missed Yang, pulled off-course by Blake, who'd just gotten to her feet and had her ribbon wrapped around the monster's tail. Instead, the stinger struck the ground behind Yang, burying itself a couple of inches in the process. In an instant, Yang turned and punched the thing with a blast from her gauntlet, sending it the rest of the way into the ground.

Blake used the ribbon to pull herself to the tail and ran up it, slashing at the unarmored underside beneath her as she went. When she reached the highest point of the curled tail she used it as a springboard, backflipping off in the direction of the tailless Deathstalker. She hovered in midair for a split-second, then vanished.

Reappearing where the injured monster's stinger once was, Blake drove her cleaver into the wound, behind the armored plate on the tail. With a brutal yell, she jumped off the stump and yanked down on her blade. There was a second when it seemed nothing had happened before a crack appeared and the first armor plate was ripped off. Hanging from her blade, Blake gave another pull, and the second followed. Then the third, and the fourth, like a nightmarish inverted salmon ladder.

With its armor ripped off, Blake unleashed a savage assault on the tail. The other Deathstalker struggled to get its stinger out of the ground, but Yang was distracting it from the front. Blake yelled, and sent the remnants of the tail flying. The creature now looked soundly defeated; probably the most pathetic Ruby'd ever seen a Grimm.

That didn't stop Blake whatsoever though, from plunging her pistol into the stump and letting loose. The Deathstalker writhed until a final bullet exited from an eye, and the beast stilled.

Blake stood, catching her breath, one foot on top of the dissolving monster. As she readied herself to resume the fight, Ruby noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. The largest Deathstalker had batted Yang away long enough to get its stinger out of the ground, and had put itself between Ruby and Blake. It just stood, facing the hooded sniper, not moving.

Yang attempted to get its attention again, but the one with gouged eyes made it to her first.

"Ruby," Weiss said. "How many do you have eyes on?"

She looked around. There was the big one, two dead, and the one fighting Yang.

"Two out of…fuck, where'd the third one go?!"

"Blake, Yang, we've lost visual on one of the targets." Weiss said over the earpiece.

"How the hell do you lose visual on a giant ass scorpion?" Yang said.

"We didn't see it go, it must've used the cover of the bigger one's movement."

"I'm moving up." Ruby said.

"No," Weiss said. "There's an unknown quantity. Do _not_ go in blind."

"The big one's tracking me, it's not giving me sight. I can't do shit from here!"

"Hold!"

Ruby took a few shots at the nuisance in front of her, but they all bounced off the armor.

Another burst of movement, this time from the treeline. They'd found the missing Deathstalker. It was soaring toward Blake, pincher extended toward her. She was facing the other direction, still obliviously looking for it. Ruby didn't even have time to warn her before she was pinned to the ground.

* * *

 **A/N: So today I learned that FF's doc manager doesn't allow tildes, which I was using as an alternate line break, for a change in time but not perspective. So I've changed it to forward slashes. Going to go back to previous chapters where I apparently didn't catch this and update them as well. The slashes are a bit ugly imo, but hyphens and underscores didn't work either. Would be very interested in any suggestions. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Reevaluations

How had it all gone so wrong so quickly? One moment they'd taken out the second of five Deathstalkers, the next… Weiss didn't even know. One of the beasts had pinned Blake to the ground, while the other two flanked it. Yang was unleashing a reckless assault, but the Grimm were covering each other's weak spots, keeping her at bay as they retreated.

 _Are they,_ Weiss thought. _Taking a hostage? This- this is…_

"Blake!" Ruby yelled from her side before taking off.

"Ruby, no!" Weiss yelled. She too used her semblance to close the distance, though not quite as effectively.

The scythe wielder, little more than a blur, flew right for the Deathstalker that held Blake. Just as she reached it, however, the larger one to its right stuck a claw out, shielding the unguarded face. Ruby came to a full, sickening stop on the appendage, which the creature flicked to the side, sending her careening into a tree. She hit the ground, dazed, but on a knee.

 _She's not out._ Weiss thought. _Small miracles._

"Ruby, Yang!" She yelled. "Get back!"

"What?!" Yang said, pausing her assault to look back at her. "Are you insane? They're! Taking! Her!" Each exclamation was punctuated by a punch to a chitinous claw. "Fucking fight me you shits!"

The smaller flanking Deathstalker seemed ready to comply with her demands, smacking her back into Weiss, who slowed the brawler with a Glyph. Said glyph also kept her from immediately rushing back into the fight. Weiss couldn't stop herself from flinching when Yang turned to meet her face, eyes a startling red.

"They already took Blake!" Weiss yelled. "Do you want to be next?"

Yang was about to jump back to the fight when Weiss grabbed her arm. Ready this time, she stood her ground.

"Have you _ever_ seen this?" She asked. "Because I know I haven't."

"Weiss!" Ruby cried, back at the Heiress's side. "That's not really important right now!"

"The hell it isn't! We don't know _what_ they're going to do next!"

"I don't think they're gonna invite her in for fucking coffee, Weiss!" Yang said.

"I know! But if they can do this, who knows what else they'll do! We have to be more careful."

"We don't have _time_ for careful!" Yang growled.

Ruby put a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "She's right, Weiss. Look."

The Grimm were further gone, and picking up pace. Blake was struggling, but not with much strength.

This was all… wrong. Visions swarmed her head, of Yang rushing in only to suffer Blake's fate, then her sister following suit. They couldn't just charge in; no matter how pressed for time and options they were, that _wasn't_ one.

Still holding onto Yang's wrist, she met the blonde's murderous intent. "We need a _plan_. One that won't get the rest of us killed."

"Well, where is it?" Yang tore her arm free. There was nothing Weiss could have done to stop her. "That's what I thought." She looked to her sister.

Ruby nodded. "Yang, get up there and slow them down. Don't bother trying to break through their defence, just distract them. Weiss-"

Weiss laughed sardonically under her breath. She could see what was happening.

 _Once again, I'm a failure._ She thought. _What else is a leader that won't be followed, let alone one that allows a member of their team to be captured?_

"Weiss, are you with me?" Ruby asked, a hand on her shoulder. Yang was running toward the Grimm in the distance. Weiss nodded.

 _So be it. There's still a job to be done, wounded pride be damned._

"Good. How many Grimm can you summon?"

"It depends," Weiss said. "On the type, and size, and-"

"Summon as many as you can," Ruby said. "And send them at the two that are guarding the middle one."

"Ruby," Weiss said. "How sure are you? That this will work, and not end with us in a worse position than we're already in?"

Ruby gave a small smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm not."

Weiss found herself at a loss. On one hand, such a statement should have been met with fury and incredulity. Relying on a plan that you yourself were unsure of wasn't a strategy; it was faith at best, suicide at worst. And yet, there was a determination in both Ruby's expression and voice. A resoluteness that _challenged_ Weiss to find Ruby's uncertainty anything but absolutely acceptable.

It was that look again- the one that betrayed years of experience and competence beyond her age. The look that Weiss faked. The one that Ruby, seemingly, hid.

Weiss _trusted_ Ruby, she realized to much of her own surprise. On some level, she trusted the odd red cloaked Huntress, and she trusted that whatever plan she had would get them out of this. And she also knew that she certainly did _not_ inspire the same trust in her teammates.

All told, she felt much more certain in these circumstances than she thought possible. Than what _should_ have been possible. It was insane, really, risking so much on so little. Even so, as she thrust Myrtenaster into the ground, she found little doubt remaining in her mind.

* * *

Yang saw red. That's all she'd seen since Blake had been taken out. Part of her recognized that what Weiss had said was right- that Grimm _don't_ take hostages, and that this was freaking her the fuck out.

But that didn't matter, not right now. Because a teammate, no matter how new, was in danger. And she'd be damned if Yang Xiao Long was gonna sit back and _plan_ while someone needed her help.

Which was why she was now sparing with three giant scorpions.

Well, mostly just two. The third was preoccupied with holding onto Blake. Still, that left a total of seven appendages she had to watch out for. As per her sister's instructions, she wasn't trying very hard to get hits of her own in, so it was enough to just let her blows glance off their guard while she kept up her own.

Sweat flew off her face as she kept pace with the three monsters. A sweeping kick across her body to deflect the middle's stinger into a simultaneous right handed backfist and a high left block to deal with the flankers. The left one now off balance, not expecting its claw to be stopped so suddenly, she managed to get a good right cross in, knocking it back a few feet. She tried to repeat the maneuver on the right one, but her backfist hadn't packed nearly enough power to faze the larger creature.

With her body turning as she brought her left fist across, her vision was filled by the oversized stinger coming toward her. Having already thrown her weight into the punch, it was all she could do to keep her rotation going, ending in a blow to her shoulder rather than her chest. Her aura absorbed the majority of the force, but it was still a hell of a hit. She went down to one knee, and was just glad that nothing was broken or dislocated. A feral mix of a snarl and a grin broke across her face as she felt her semblance get a significant boost.

 _You. Are. Fucked._

But as she rose to deliver her retribution, the other flanking Deathstalker reminded her of its presence with a swipe of its tail. The lateral strike was too far wide and the tail itself too thick for her to dodge, so she just grunted and met it with a double forearm block, her aggression cooling down as she retook her defensive position.

Then something seemed to switch in the Grimm; the two flanking Deathstalkers came at her simultaneously, claws and tails flying. Yang managed to avoid or block them all, but was definitively on the back foot now. They weren't giving her an opening, and the one with Blake had picked up its pace.

A chill went down Yang's back. Weiss, stupid as she was being, had a point. This wasn't the animalistic fury and bloodlust Grimm were supposed to have. They'd hadn't been worn down and tired before, they were being _defensive_. A fact she figured would keep her up at night for a while, but wasn't about to distract her now.

She might have been freaked out by their behavior, but at least now they were fighting normally. It was more intense, sure, but it was what she was used to. Realizing they weren't about to give her any more free shots, she started working to make her own. Every dodge accompanied by a shotgun blast, blocks followed up by grapples.

After a particularly risky swipe from the smaller beast, she managed to get on its blind side and tuck its claw under her arm, like a headlock. With some help from her semblance, its pincher (claw-thumb? spikey bit?) was ripped free. Its friend didn't like that.

The gargantuan stinger shot towards her. Her semblance still active and at least a bit juiced, she just managed to move the arm still in her grasp to her front. She smirked as the beast effectively took out the rest of its ally's arm. Vaulting over the destroyed limb, she grabbed the now blackened stinger. The slickness of the blood didn't help, but she managed to wrap her arm around the base.

She went to town on the amber colored weapon. Each punch embedding a dozen pellets into the surface. The damned thing shrieked and whipped her around, trying to throw her off.

 _Gonna have to try harder than that, buddy_. She laughed inwardly.

Eventually, she heard and felt a sharp _crack_.

"HA!" She shouted. "Try your shit again now!"

She reared back for a final blow, but with a sudden movement that she was certain had left some of her organs behind, she was suddenly in the air high above the scene. It was oddly calm up there, for the half second before she started screaming.

Once she realized that she wasn't: a) falling, or b) dead, she cooled down. Somewhat. It felt like she was being lifted by her jacket, and sure enough, a pair of talons had gripped the collar. She'd be more concerned, but the talons were glowing.

"WEISS!" She shouted. "Stop with the cautionary bullshit already! We can't all sit around and wait for our friends to die like you!" She had no idea whether Weiss could hear her. Maybe this thing came with a mic.

"Shut up, you idiot," Weiss's voice came through the earpiece. _Right, those are a thing_. "I was _trying_ to- you know what, just look for yourself."

No sooner had the Atlesian's voice cut out than Yang was put into a sharp dive. Weiss seriously owed her a kidney.

Now closer to the fight, she could see what Weiss was talking about. The smaller Deathstalker's stinger had gone straight through the weakened one. She hadn't even notice it move. All around the two beasts were small white Gryphons and Nevermores, circling and then diving repeatedly.

"Weiss," Yang asked. "Can you put me near Blake?"

"Of course." Yang could practically _feel_ the Heiress's smirk. Although, she was the one who'd just exploded at her for saving her life, so maybe she could let it slide. This time.

And again Yang was off. She didn't know if Gryphons only had one speed, Weiss couldn't control it, or if she was doing it on purpose, but Yang never wanted to take SummonAir™ again.

It had its uses though; Yang hit the ground just in front of the Deathstalker that still held Blake. Her heart dropped when she noticed that Blake, who before had been weakly struggling against the vice, was slumped over in the creature's grip.

"Blake!" She called out. "Hold on!"

She ran toward the Grimm, hoping that Weiss could keep the ones at her back occupied. Her semblance activated easily as she neared her target, but it didn't have much powering it. She'd only taken the one serious hit so far. This battle had been much more quick and dynamic than the ones she thrived in. Put her in a ring with a dozen Ursa and let 'em duke it out, that's how she did it. Weiss's trap and lure wasn't a bad idea, but it meant that she'd been playing bait or staying out of the way for the most part.

Still, she'd work with what she had. She didn't have a choice.

* * *

Ruby watched as her sister battled the Grimm. Every part of her was screaming at her to help the blonde, but she had other priorities. Weiss was right, these Deathstalkers weren't acting right; Grimm were aggressive and primal. All they did was kill, they didn't plan, they didn't defend, they _killed_. They definitely didn't take prisoners. So as soon as she was sure her team- er, the others- were taking actions to stall, she took a moment to analyze the scorpiods.

With her head clear and not worrying about combat, it was obvious that there was a pattern. It wasn't a usual one, but there was still a pattern- they were still predictable. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief at that.

The two flankers were defending the center, that much was obvious. Anytime Yang so much as looked its way, they'd become more aggressive, bringing her attention back to them. At the same time, they were being extra careful to not give her any opening, even going so far as to ignore a few of her own that would've goaded any other Grimm to attack.

All the while the three of them were edging back to the treeline. Ruby could only assume they meant to retreat, but to where? Grimm lived- no, existed- to kill. And there were four willing victims right here. Obviously, they weren't as easy as your random villager to take down, but did the Grimm know that?

Still, satisfied that the Grimm didn't seem _too_ much more intelligent than normal, Ruby was confident in continuing mostly as planned. They couldn't use themselves as bait or hope for a drawn out fight, but she didn't expect them to be outmaneuvered or outsmarted.

Around the time Ruby came to that conclusion, Weiss had finished her summons. Dozens of young flying Grimm rushed the two Deathstalkers. It looked like one of them had also saved her sister from a nasty hit. She'd have to thank Weiss for that later.

With a burst of speed, she was next to her sister, running towards Blake.

"We can beat them!" She shouted.

"Ha!" Yang said. "I'd hope so!"

"They're acting all weird, but not smart. If Weiss's things fail, we ignore the two others, go for the one with Blake."

"That's it? Attack the target?"

Ruby shook her head. "When we do that, they'll get more aggressive- like if you leave an opening for a normal Grimm. Use that."

"Got it!"

Ruby glanced back and saw the summons still pestering the two defenders. She took that as her go-ahead.

In an instant, she was on top of the Deathstalker. She got down on her knees, holding Crescent Rose in one hand and the chitin in the other.

"Blake!" She called. "Get ready!"

She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a slight nod. No time to check, though.

She swung her scythe around so the blade was hooked on the inside of the Grimm's arm. She jumped from its back to the same side as her sweetheart, firing once she felt resistance. It wasn't enough to cut through, but it pried the claws apart enough that Blake's limp form was dropped. As soon as she hit the ground, Blake rolled back into her fighting stance.

The Deathstalker made a desperate lunge for its lost quarry, and for a moment, Ruby thought it'd succeeded. But then the Blake in its grasp faded, the real Blake reappearing in the air above where she'd just been, weapon already spinning towards the stinger. The ribbon wrapped around the tail as the pistol embedded itself in the flesh. Blake gave a tug and sent herself flipping through the air. She brought the bladed sheath up and swung at the connection between tail and stinger.

It wasn't complete, but it didn't need to be. Yang came flying in from behind them, and Ruby could feel her flames. With a punch, the stinger was launched into orbit. Yang landed a ways away, in a crater.

Before Ruby could get back to work finishing off the beast, she was distracted by some movement to her side. Weiss's summons were gone, and the two others were dashing back to the action. Ruby sent herself into the sky with her semblance and some Gravity shots. While in the air, she checked her scroll. It looked like Weiss had exhausted herself; her aura was extremely low, but not gone.

Back into the fighting, Ruby expected the pair to be more aggressive, seeing how their buddy was pretty messed up. And they were. Ruby was able to work with Blake with little difficulty in fending them off. They behaved exactly as any other Grimm would.

What she hadn't expected was for the third to be just as bloodthirsty. While she was focused on the couple with Blake, a sudden blow to the back of her head sent her into a nearby tree. Her aura was shielding about four-fifths of incoming damage, but that was a hit from a very angry Deathstalker. It took a few seconds for her vision to clear, and even then it wasn't quite right. But it looked like Yang was fighting the now stinger-less one, supposedly she'd been just a bit too slow to intercept the hit Ruby'd taken. Blake, meanwhile, was left alone against the other two. That wouldn't do.

She lowered her aura shielding a bit to refocus some into healing her head, and gathered up the rest to help lighten Blake's load. She readied Crescent Rose behind her in Warscythe mode and shot off toward the biggest monster. A few shots and she was once again spinning- a whirlwind of destruction. Unlike earlier, however, her aim was a bit off. Or maybe it was her balance. Instead of swinging through the relatively thin tail, she went right into the body of the thing. She got a solid rotation and a half in before her momentum was gone.

The world around her kept spinning though, to the point that she actually wasn't sure if she'd stopped. She could feel the sick warmth of the Grimm she was now in up to her arms. She could smell the decay and rot that accompanied them, and only her considerable experience with the monsters kept her from retching. She hated doing it, but she grimaced and released her scythe. It wasn't coming loose anytime soon.

She felt naked without her weapon, but she wasn't about to leave her teammates in a two versus three. She struck up the rudimentary hand to hand stance Yang had drilled into her and got ready. Until she was tackled by a pair of massive boobs.

"No fuckin' way!" Yang said.

"I. Can. Fight!" Ruby struggled.

"Blake 'n I got this. They're back to normal," She rolled off her sister and reached a hand out. "Go. Check on the Ice Queen."

Halfway through picking her sister up, Yang dropped Ruby's hand, spinning backwards to knock a claw away with a hook kick before following up with a haymaker.

"Run!"

* * *

As Yang said, the Grimm had returned to their more primal, and more importantly, predictable, behavior. Of course, that still left three large, and rather angry, Deathstalkers for Blake and Yang to deal with. The uneven numbers together with the separation between targets meant they needed to fight asymmetrically. The pairs had shifted, so Yang was against the largest one, while Blake took on the two injured beasts.

The Faunus weaved in and out of their collective range with grace. A multitude of acrobatic flips and misdirecting clones were made abundantly useful as she was forced to deal with her multiple opponents.

The one advantage that was afforded to her was the injuries she'd dealt to them earlier: one was half blind, while the other lacked mobility. Exploiting those, she knew, would be the easiest path to victory.

To that end, she stayed between them, and tried to keep the blinded one to her left. That way, its blinded left side and the other's crippled right would be closest. Obviously, both rejected that configuration out of nature, and frequently tried to reverse their positions. But whenever either made to move around her, she'd make use of the distraction to either keep them in place with her ribbon, or score more blows until they decided to stay put.

At the first opening after the Deathstalker stopped trying to reposition, Blake sent a clone at the blinded one. She used the cover to dive toward the other, staying on its weak side. As she thought, it spun around to face her head on. She dove between its crippled legs, wincing as barbs weakly scratched her face. Now (relatively) safe underneath the beast, she dissipated her clone and sent a few shots at the other's stinger.

Not bothering to look, the Deathstalker lashed out in the direction of the bullets. Of course, being blinded on that side, it couldn't see what was there whatsoever. Given her confined space, Blake maximized her aura protection as the lighting fast retaliation from the stinger plunged straight through her cover. Unfortunately, it still had enough momentum to deliver a sizable blow, leaving her dazed.

But to the Huntress's relief, the maneuver proved to be enough, as the form around her started disappearing. She crawled out from under the dying Grimm before the remaining one's weapon was freed. She took a moment to catch her breath, as well as to wipe some of the dark blood and viscera off of her. It was futile, for the most part, and the effects of being directly underneath such a large wound had not been something she'd considered. She doubted she would fail to in the future.

Before she could even resume her combat stance, the battlefield was radically altered as the largest Deathstalker came flying in, colliding with and taking down her remaining opponent. The blonde responsible for said airborne arachnid soon followed, landing with what grace she was allowed next to Blake.

"Hey," She said with more cheer than was probably appropriate. "Nice, see you took one out. Ready to finish this?"

Blake simply nodded her agreement.

Once again, she was amazed at how well they seemed to understand each other in combat. Yang rushed off toward the larger, expertly dueling it before the blinded one could even react. Blake was hot on her heels and already forming a plan of attack.

"Behind!" She called to Yang.

Her call out, it seemed, was understood, as Yang batted away a swipe from the claw to get down on one knee. She raised a gauntleted hand behind her head, which Blake gratefully jumped to. Bracing her forearm with her other hand, Yang pushed off, launching Blake up and over. The behemoth's stinger shot forward, but passed cleanly through the apparition as Blake appeared just behind it, sliding down the tail to safety at the beast's back.

Meanwhile, Yang had continued her frontal assault, dealing with both Deathstalkers similarly to how she had before, staying mostly offensive. With Blake now dealing damage to the larger one from behind, the blind one shifted priorities, turning its back to the brawler. It probably realized its mistake about a hundred feet into its flight, courtesy of a disastrous punch to its side.

Of course, that attack had opened up Yang, and the big guy made sure she paid for it. With a sickening crunch, a claw sent her flying after her prey.

The final domino of pain to fall was the remaining Deathstalker. Its swipe at Yang distracted it long enough for Blake to wrap her ribbon around its tail. She used her aura to enhance the muscles in both her legs and arms as she jumped and yanked on the ribbon simultaneously.

The effort sent her sailing past the stinger she was attached to and into the air. The ribbon was nearly taut at her apex; at which she pulled again with superhuman (or rather, superfaunus) strength. She briefly wondered if this speed felt anything like Ruby's semblance, before colliding, cleaver extended out before her, with the beast. A shock of pain traveled up the knee she'd landed on, as well as her arms. However, if the guttural screech her quarry had unleashed was any indication, she'd come out much, _much_ , ahead in the exchange.

Her sheath was buried to the hilt in the Deathstalker's back, and its pained thrashing had managed to wrap her ribbon further around itself. Deciding to cut her losses, Blake let go of her ribbon, and used both arms to pry her cleaver free. A torrent of putrid blood followed it, fouling the air. The beast bucked, and the slickness of the carapace caused Blake to lose her footing and tumble off its back. She did land on her feet though, of course.

Blake briefly wondered if she was having a scene of déjà vu, as the Deathstalker was suddenly knocked off its legs by its projectile friend. And sure enough, Yang again came soaring after it, only this time she was on fire. A wicked grin spread across her face at the now stacked up monsters. Skidding as she hit the ground, the Huntress bounded again toward the disoriented scorpions, aided by a few blasts from her gauntlets. Her left hand was outstretched, lining her up for a right haymaker, which was painfully delivered.

The smaller got the worst of it, being the closer one. It was not, however, the _only_ one to suffer the wrath of Xiao Long. No, Yang's fist, wreathed in flames, did not stop at its first victim. Nor did the girl herself, for that matter. Her punch had blown away enough of the rapidly dissolving Deathstalker that she continued more or less unimpeded through the corpse.

Already rocked by the transitive property of pain, the final Deathstalker likely had little going through its mind _other_ than Yang's follow up blow. Hands clasped together over her head, she flipped forward and brought a hammerstrike down directly on the opening Blake had created.

Standing amidst the remains of their foes, Yang turned to Blake, and gave a simple thumbs up.

"Nice job." She said, before passing out.

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

Blake sat by the still smoldering remains of their campfire. Weiss was switching between examining several maps and plans and checking her scroll. Yang was tending to Ruby.

The youngest Huntress seemed to be the most injured; a deep cut ran along her forehead to her temple and her eyes were unfocused. She was likely concussed. Yang, too, was far from uninjured. The elder sister kept absentmindedly rubbing her shoulder and ribs- at least one of them was probably broken or dislocated. And Weiss… even she would occasionally drop her scroll and documents before walking a bit offsite. Blake's keen ears could still pick up the vomiting, however.

Blake stood and walked closer to the other three. Only Weiss seemed to take notice, Yang too preoccupied and Ruby still out of it.

The Atlesian raised a brow at her. Blake was stuck. She had to say something. At least to Yang and Ruby. But to Weiss? Weiss Schnee? If she knew, would she even have…

No. That didn't matter. Not right now. She locked eyes with Weiss.

"I'm sorry." She said.

Weiss blinked, her gaze becoming uncharacteristically soft. "For?"

"Messing up," Blake choked. "Getting captured, this is all-"

"No," Weiss sighed. "I refuse to accept the apology I'm supposed to give," She looked over to the sisters and cleared her throat before continuing in a raised voice.

"I failed you all," She said, now with everyone's attention. "I underestimated our circumstances, I got sloppy. I-It won't happen again." She finished quietly.

Blake saw Yang's head turn, and at first, her eyes were red and her expression hard. But it was like a wave of sorrow suddenly passed her, and her face fell.

"No one failed anyone," She said. "For fuck's sake, the Grimm took a _hostage_. I know they say to expect the unexpected, but seriously, what the fuck…"

"Still," Weiss said. "As the supposed leader on this operation, I should be taking the responsibility."

After checking that Ruby was okay, Yang got up and went to Weiss. She put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are the Grimm dead?"

"Yes, but-"

"Are any of us dead?"

"You're injured!"

Yang grinned. "But not dead. I dunno about you, but I call that mission accomplished. Good job, boss."

"I thought I wasn't your boss?"

"Well, if you really wanna-"

Weiss put her hand up, stopping Yang. "I appreciate the gesture, but… I can't. I expect we both know why."

Yang looked at Ruby, now looking quite possibly passed out on the ground, and beamed. "Yeah. I get it."

"I do sorely apologize to you, Blake," Weiss said. "Even disregarding irregular behaviors, my plan put you in undue danger. So… I'm sorry."

Of all the things Blake never thought she'd see in her life, an apology from a Schnee, and a sincere one at that, was pretty close to the top of the list. She had the thought, for a second, of reaching up and undoing her bow just to see the reaction. But she decided to cherish this while she had it.

She nodded. "Thanks. And honestly, it looks like I'm in the best shape here. Weiss, are you actually doing okay?"

"I'll survive," She said. "Just some exhaustion." As she said it, a green tinge encroached on her alabaster skin.

"Aura exhaustion," Blake said. "Not just fatigue. Here, let me take care of this." She stood over the documents and maps Weiss was looking over, and set about continuing the report. "You go rest."

Weiss almost looked ready to argue, but seemed to think better of it. "Th-thank you. I… you don't need to."

Blake smiled. "You got exhausted saving me, didn't you?"

"Completing the mission."

"Right," Blake said. "Completing the mission."

* * *

"We need to talk to someone." Ruby said, bursting into the kitchen.

"About?" Yang asked. She and Blake had been on the couch watching some shitty TV show when Ruby interrupted.

"The mission. And everything with the Grimm."

"Didn't all that get put in the report?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, but the more I think about it, the more freaked out I get."

"I'm sure they'll look into it." Yang said.

"Well I'm not," Ruby said. "Look at it this way, Yang. Three Huntresses and a mercenary, no offense, Blake, all with less than four years of actual experience, report that a mission went south because what? The Grimm took a hostage and started acting defensively? Trying to retreat? Any paper-pusher that sees that report is sending it straight to the shredder."

"She might be right." Blake said.

Yang sighed. "So whaddya want to do?"

Ruby glanced between her and Blake. "I think we need to talk to Qrow."

"Qrow?" Blake asked.

"Our Uncle," Yang explained. "You really think this is worth it?"

"Yang," Ruby said. "I know… ya know. But yes, I do."

"No need to keep Blake out of it," Yang said. "Not like it's gonna matter soon anyway."

Blake chuckled. "Keeping secrets?"

"Sorta," Yang said. "It's uh… delicate."

"Our Uncle," Ruby said. "We're pretty sure he's actually really high up. Like, Board of Hunters, high up."

"And?"

"And," Yang said. "We don't think that he knows that we think that. Or at least, we don't think that he knows how sure we are of it."

"Okay."

"So," Ruby said. "We don't really know how he'll react. We've never talked to him about it before, but now…"

"Now you need a direct line to the higher ups." Blake finished.

"Right," Yang said. "Well, Ruby, he likes you best."

"What?!"

"It's true, don't deny it."

"How am I supposed to explain how I know?"

"Just tell him how I found out, but say it was you."

"Yang, I don't think that'll be very believable coming from me."

"Look, you have to at least try. If he doesn't buy it, just rat me out."

"Why can't you both go?" Blake asked.

Yang shook her head. "We've talked this over before. We think it'll be best if it's just one of us. More personal. And the less people he thinks knows the better."

"Your Uncle seems… nice."

"He is!" Ruby said. "It's just… when we learned about this… we don't really know for sure what he'll be like."

"If he can hide shit like this," Yang said. "Who knows?"

"Well," Blake said. "Why tell him then?"

The sisters both looked at her in confusion.

"Just tell him about the Grimm. No need to mention that you expect him to be able do something about it."

Ruby hit her own forehead. "Right! Duh. Guess it's pretty obvious when you put it like that, huh?"

Blake shrugged, not offering anything else before returning her attention to the TV.

* * *

"Hey, pipsqueak," Qrow said. "Not your usual hangout, is it?"

"Nah," Ruby said. "But it is yours."

"I'm offended," Qrow chuckled. "This is _far_ nicer than the places I frequent."

Ruby snorted. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So, what did you need to talk about so bad that it couldn't wait a couple weeks?"

"Well, Dad said you're leaving again soon, right?"

Qrow sighed. "Yeah…"

"So who knows when the next time'll actually be."

"Fine, you got a point. So spit it out then."

Ruby looked around. "We might wanna go somewhere more private."

Qrow eyed up his niece. "Why?"

"It's… sensitive."

"Oh," He said. "Oh! Sure, sure. Been here once or twice, follow me."

He led Ruby to a VIP area. A private room actually. He barely paid any mind to the bouncer standing outside telling him the room was reserved, flaring his cape to reveal his sword as he reached into his wallet.

"Hey, Ruby," He said once they were inside. "Remind me again, what the first thing Ozpin said to you was."

"Uh, I think it was something about me having silver eyes. Why?"

"No reason. So, what is this, uh, 'sensitive matter'?"

"First, um, you trust me, right?"

Qrow chuckled. "Sure, why wouldn't I?"

Ruby tried to hide her nervousness, but apparently not well enough.

Qrow's expression became more serious. "Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

"N-no. I'm just… glad you do, is all."

"Ruby, what's going on?"

"I… something weird happened on our last mission."

"Your team's?"

"Yeah. It was all going pretty normal, you know, Yang was punching stuff, the Grimm were trying to kill us. All fine."

"But?"

"But it was like- like a switch went off in the Grimm. They took one of my teammate's _hostage_. Then they started retreating! It was- I've just never heard of anything like that, h-have you?"

"They retreated?"

"Well, they tried. We stopped them, but still… it's kinda making me uneasy."

Qrow put a firm hand on her shoulder. "It's fine, kiddo. Stuff like this happens, when you're in the field. Not everything goes according to plan, like in a classroom."

Ruby felt herself relax a bit. _It's not unheard of, just rare._

She glared up at her Uncle. "I'm not _that_ green, you know."

"Pssh. You're greener than the Emerald Forest," He ruffled her hair a bit. "Think I see a few twigs growing in here."

Ruby pushed his hand away and stood. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow. We were all just, uh, a little worried."

"Even Schnee, huh?" Qrow smirked. "Tell her to tell her sister I say 'Hi'."

Ruby cocked a brow at him. "I- I don't… is there something I should know?"

"Nah. She's just fun to mess with."

"I… don't know how to take that."

Qrow shrugged, but didn't add anything else.

"Right," Ruby said. "Well, thanks again. I should head back now."

"Sure thing, Rubes. Hey, good luck out there."

Ruby hugged him. "You too!"

* * *

Not long after Ruby had left, Qrow opened up his scroll.

"Hey, Oz. Got some bad news."


End file.
